Club World Cup: FIFA prosecuted by Football Players’ Unions

Based on the information, football players’ unions legally challenged FIFA on Thursday, June 13, 2024, over the expansion of the Club World Cup. The event, which will bring together 32 teams instead of seven, is scheduled for June-July 2025 in the United States.

This move comes despite concerns expressed by FIFPRO (the International Federation of Professional Footballers) about the increased physical and mental demands placed on the players.

On Thursday, the European branch of FIFPRO announced that member unions in England and France filed a complaint against FIFA with the commercial court in Brussels, contesting FIFA’s decisions to unilaterally set the international match calendar.

The Brussels court is requested to refer the case to the European Court of Justice. FIFA revealed the details of its expanded Club World Cup in December 2023 and claims to have set the international match calendar after consulting the relevant stakeholders. It is now up to the courts to decide the matter.

Pascal Amstrong