Inter and Juventus qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup, but it might not go ahead as planned after FIFPro and the World Leagues Association threatened to sue FIFA.
This is the latest tournament to be expanded beyond all original recognition to appease the growing desire for more and more games.
The competition was originally a one-off match, the Intercontinental Cup, between the winners of the Champions League/European Cup and the Copa America.
It was expanded to a Club World Cup in 2000 and will be blown up even more from 2025 to a tournament with a whopping 32 teams.
Expanded Club World Cup
It’ll be played from June to July 2025 over 29 days in the USA, with 63 matches planned, effectively meaning many teams will just keep going after the end of their domestic seasons.
Add in the expanded Champions League and this is putting an immense strain on the health and well-being of the players.
Now FIFPro – who represent players – and the World Leagues Association have signed a joint letter warning FIFA they could sue if the match calendar is not revised.
The expanded Club World Cup is moved to every four years.