FOOTBALL

FIFA hit with legal action as players’ union takes a stand to block revamped Club World Cup and take control of congested fixture schedule

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FIFA has been sued by FIFPRO’S European member unions as they aim to block the revamped Club World Cup in 2025.

  • FIFA face legal action
  • FIFPRO’s European unions take them to Brussels court
  • Hit out against CWC 2025 and congested match calendar

WHAT HAPPENED?

The expanded men’s Club World Cup, set to feature 32 teams, is at the centre of the controversy as players’ unions challenge FIFA’s crowning club tournament. FIFPRO, the International Federation of Professional Footballers, represents players worldwide and has long been an advocate for their rights. The union’s European member branches, particularly the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) in England and the Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionnels (UNFP) in France, spearheaded the legal claim submitted to the Brussels Court of Commerce. The claim underscores the unions’ dissatisfaction with FIFA’s unilateral scheduling decisions, which they argue compromise players’ rights and well-being.

20240530 Gianni Infantino Club World Cup trophy

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The dispute stems from FIFA’s decision to host the expanded Club World Cup in the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025. This decision, announced in May, was met with an immediate backlash from both FIFPRO and the World Leagues Association (WLA), who threatened legal action if FIFA did not reconsider rescheduling the tournament. Despite these warnings, FIFA has remained firm on its stance which has forced the body to pursue legal action.

WHAT FIFPRO SAID

FIFPRO’s central argument is that the new tournament schedule imposes excessive demands on players, leaving them with little to no rest between seasons. According to Maheta Molango, PFA’s chief executive, “The fixture calendar is broken to the point that it has now become unworkable.”

Whereas, David Terrier, President of FIFPRO Europe, said: “Since all attempts at dialogue have failed, it is now up to us to ensure that the fundamental rights of players are fully respected by taking the matter to the European courts and thus to the ECJ. It’s not a question of stigmatising a particular competition, but of denouncing both the underlying problem and the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

DID YOU KNOW?

The 2024-25 season is expected to merge almost seamlessly into the 2025-26 season, exacerbating the situation. The Premier League is set to conclude on May 25, 2025, followed by the Champions League final on May 31. An international window is then slated for June 2-10, with the Club World Cup commencing just four days later, on June 14. This intense scheduling leaves players with minimal recovery time before the Premier League kicks off again in mid-August. Such a tight turnaround is not unprecedented; similar scheduling pressures were observed this summer – with Euro 2024, Copa America 2024, and the Olympics scheduled – illustrating the persistent problem.

Chelsea Club World Cup

WHAT NEXT?

The legal claim lodged by FIFPRO requests the Brussels Court of Commerce to refer four questions to the European Court of Justice for a preliminary ruling.

  1. “Whether the rights guaranteed to workers and their trade unions by the EU Charter of Rights, in particular Articles 5, 15, 28 and 31, prohibit FIFA from scheduling the Club World Cup 2025 at a time that has traditionally represented the ‘window’ when players would take an annual break and against the formal representations of player/worker unions.”
  2. “Whether the unilateral imposition of such decisions on players infringes the rights under Article 28 of the Charter for those players to collectively bargain over their terms and conditions of employment.”
  3. “Whether the right to healthy working conditions, guaranteed by Article 28, is violated by FIFA’s decision to impose a significant additional workload via the Club World Cup 2025.”
  4. “Whether FIFA’s unilateral decisions with regard to the International Match Calendar and the Club World Cup 2025 give rise to “restrictions of competition” pursuant to Article 101 TFEU.”

This strategic move underscores the unions’ intent to challenge FIFA’s scheduling decisions on a broader legal front. Jean-Louis Dupont, renowned for his role in the landmark Bosman transfer ruling of 1995, will lead FIFPRO’s legal team, highlighting the significance of this case.

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