The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has joined a legal challenge against FIFA regarding the “overloaded and unworkable” football calendar. Partnering with the French players’ union, the PFA has filed a claim at the Brussels court of commerce, supported by the European office of players’ union FIFpro. The legal action contests the legitimacy of FIFA’s unilateral decisions on the international match calendar, particularly the creation and scheduling of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.
Expansion of Club World Cup
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is set to feature 12 European representatives and will be held in the United States from 15 June to 13 July. The PFA argues that the scheduling of this expanded tournament, confirmed by the Fifa Council in December 2022, exacerbates an already strained football calendar. The union believes that this event marks a critical point for the calendar, compromising players’ ability to take necessary and meaningful breaks between seasons.
Legal grounds and players’ rights
The PFA, in its legal filing, aims to enforce players’ legal rights to guaranteed and protected breaks, emphasizing that current schedules ignore these rights. The union’s chief executive, Maheta Molango, stated, “Everyone across football knows that the fixture calendar is broken to the point that it has now become unworkable.” Molango criticized the governing bodies for disregarding players’ rights and highlighted the union’s duty to protect these rights.
Future implications
The PFA’s legal claim requests that the Brussels court of commerce refer the case to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for a preliminary ruling on EU law’s interpretation concerning footballers’ rights. The ECJ’s ruling could significantly impact the structure of the football calendar. The PFA pointed out that for many players, the 2024-25 season could transition almost directly into the 2025-26 season, allowing minimal rest.
Failed dialogues and next steps
FIFA has denied claims of not consulting FIFpro and the World Leagues Association about the tournament plans and remains firm on not altering the 2025 Club World Cup schedule despite the legal threat. FIFpro Europe’s president, David Terrier, noted that legal action was necessary since dialogue efforts had failed. Terrier emphasized that the issue was not about targeting a specific competition but addressing the broader concern of an unmanageable fixture calendar.
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