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New York Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
FIFA ‘far away' from a deal with league unions over football calendar, says PL board member
FIFA is still 'far away' from resolving the row with Europe's domestic leagues and global players' union FIFPro over the international match calendar, according to the Premier League's director of international football relations Mathieu Moreuil. Last October, European Leagues, the body that represents leagues in 30 countries across the continent, teamed up with FIFPro to file a formal complaint against world football's governing body at the European Commission. Advertisement The dispute over who controls football's congested calendar has been simmering for years but FIFA's critics believe its decisions to expand the World Cup to 48 teams and create a new 32-team Club World Cup are an abuse of a dominant market position, which is contrary to European Union competition law. At the heart of the dispute is the claim that FIFA has failed to consult the rest of the game on the impact of these changes, with the unions concerned about a spike in injuries and player-burnout, while the leagues are worried about the detrimental effect of too much football on their competitions. Speaking to journalists in Munich on Thursday, Moreuil said European Leagues and FIFPro made their complaint because FIFA was not listening to them, something that has started to change. 'We've had meetings, at least, and FIFA is now engaging with us,' said Moreuil, who is also European Leagues' vice-president. 'Both organisations have had meetings with the FIFA president (Gianni Infantino), which is good, but we're still far away from an agreement, therefore we'll keep our legal action in the system. 'FIFA needs to have a discussion with all the stakeholders about a calendar that works. It's not going to be easy but that's what we do. 'When we look at (European football's governing body) UEFA, we can have a discussion on these issues. It's not perfect but at least the points we are making are taken into account. That's the relationship we want with FIFA and we're far from that at the moment. But hopefully things can improve.' FIFA's international match calendar is an agreement with the game's six continental confederations, the European Club Association and FIFPro that sets out when international games can be played, including all the major tournaments. The current calendar runs from this summer until the end of 2030 and, as FIFA insists that international football takes priority over domestic games, national competitions must fit into FIFA's schedule. Advertisement The revamped Club World Cup, which starts in Miami on June 14, does not have a ring-fenced space on the calendar but FIFA is still demanding that the 32 participating clubs field their strongest squads and has created a bespoke transfer window to allow them to bring in new players between 1-10 June. And with the tournament not finishing until 13 July, teams that go deep in the tournament will only have five weeks off before their domestic seasons start again in mid-August. Maheta Molango, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, was also in Munich ahead of Saturday's Champions League final and the English players' union boss told reporters that his members have been very clear about the consequences of fixture congestion. 'The players have spoken up,' he said. '(Manchester City's) Rodri, the Ballon d'Or, said it was too much, and many others. So now it's very tangible. It's not a theory. 'We are in situation where players are being put at risk of injury, physically and mentally. 'That's why we need to come together and work on solutions, otherwise people will get injured or they'll make choices to protect themselves. That's where it becomes a problem for the whole industry, because we want to see the best players on the pitch.' Molango added that the players' unions are pushing for a mandatory two-week break for players in the off-season and a day off every week during the season. FIFA has not responded to a request for comment.
New York Times
08-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How the Club World Cup could stretch football's elite – including Lionel Messi
Even Lionel Messi will not have known a fortnight quite like it. The man commonly hailed as the greatest footballer of all time could also be the most exhausted by the end of a two-week spell which, if he fulfils all his obligations, could see him clock up almost 10,000 miles and play four games for his club, Inter Miami, and the Argentina national side. But Messi is not alone. It is 18 months since FIFA told the world of its finer details for a new Club World Cup. A 32-team competition had long been trailed but confirmation of the precise dates from a FIFA Council meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in December 2023, brought a wince from some with a vested interest. FIFPro, the global players' union, said the schedule demonstrated 'a lack of consideration for the mental and physical health of participating players' in a blunt statement, while Maheta Molango, chief executive of England's Professional Footballers' Association, made his own concerns known. 'This year (2024-25) is when people realise that all of it doesn't fit,' he told The Athletic in an interview last year. 'It's no longer a question of being a threat that's coming down the line. It's here.' Sandwiched in between club campaigns concluding in Europe this month and the Club World Cup beginning in June is an international break that will see silverware on the line and qualification for the 2026 World Cup finals at stake. Less than a week, in many cases, stands between international commitments finishing and the Club World Cup beginning. A month from now there will be players and coaches wondering what to do, juggling workloads with self-interest. The Athletic examines the new squeeze on football's calendar. The season is almost done in Europe but what's that coming over the hill? It's congestion. Just as it does in September, October, November and March, FIFA's international match calendar reserves a spot at the start of June for international games to be played. Next month is no different. All FIFA confederations — UEFA (Europe), AFC (Africa), Concacaf (North, Central America and the Caribbean) and CONMEBOL (South America) — with the exception of OFC (Oceania) and CAF (Asia), have 2026 World Cup qualifiers scheduled, with the latest finishing on June 10. The issue this year is the Club World Cup. FIFA's new competition will kick off in Miami on June 14 and run all the way through until July 13. The group stages alone will not finish until June 26, with some stellar names facing new demands in a summer that would have traditionally granted greater downtime. Nations such as Brazil, Argentina, Netherlands, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia all have World Cup qualifying fixtures on June 10, the final day of the international window, four days before the start of the Club World Cup. Significantly, the Club World Cup also clashes with the Concacaf Gold Cup (June 14 to July 6), which is also hosted in the United States, as well as Canada. UEFA's European Under-21 Championship (June 11-28) is another double booking in the schedule. Who could be affected? As well as players experiencing tight turnarounds from World Cup qualifiers in the days before the Club World Cup starts, some might be denied the opportunity to feature for their countries. Included in the regulations for the Club World Cup, published in October 2024, was an exception to FIFA's Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RTSP) that outlined where the power would lie. 'It is not mandatory for clubs participating in the competition to release their registered players to the representatives of teams of the country for which those players are eligible to play,' it said in article 22.5. That, it was made clear, did not include the international window running from June 2-10 but gave clubs the ability to make sure their players could not be deemed ineligible due to international call-ups. FIFA, too, has safeguarded the prestige of its new club competition, ensuring the best players are not taken elsewhere. That means USMNT, Canada and Mexico, all competing in the Concacaf Gold Cup, could be missing many players, including Weston McKennie (Juventus/USMNT) and Gerardo Arteaga (Monterrey/Mexico). The same will apply for those who ordinarily might have been part of the European Under-21 Championship. Manchester City's Rico Lewis (England), Chelsea's Malo Gusto (France), Porto's Rodrigo Mora (Portugal) and others will have schedules dictated by their clubs, who could theoretically decide their development would be better served at the Euros. What's the potential travel itinerary going to look like? Messi is just one extreme example of the schedule that potentially awaits some of the world's elite players. In theory, the 37-year-old could travel from Inter Miami's home of Chase Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, after playing the Columbus Crew in the MLS on June 1, to Chile for an international fixture with Argentina on June 5. It's then on to his home country to host Colombia on June 10 before heading back to Florida to play Al Ahly at the Hard Rock Stadium, Miami on June 14. It adds up to four games in 14 days, with around 9,500 miles of travel thrown in for good measure. Messi is used to gruelling schedules (he played four games in 19 days, albeit with far less travel in between, last June) and he may be reassured by the suggestions that Argentina, who have already booked their place at the 2026 World Cup and are already missing some senior players due to suspensions, may choose not to call up more established stars. With this in mind, head coach Lionel Scaloni is likely to use those two fixtures to look at younger players. But for others, especially those based in Europe, there are no such consolations. After Real Madrid's final La Liga fixture, currently scheduled for May 25, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo will then make a 5,500-mile trip to Ecuador, who Brazil face in a World Cup qualifier on June 5. From Ecuador, it's another 2,500 miles to Sao Paulo for a home game against Paraguay; finally, there's a 4,000-mile flight to Miami for Madrid's Club World Cup opener against Al Hilal on June 18. Inter's epic Champions League semi-final win over Barcelona will see Benjamin Pavard and Marcus Thuram face the prospect of playing a final in Munich on May 31 before, most likely, being part of France's attempts to lift the UEFA Nations League, with a semi-final against Spain on June 5 and a potential final on June 8. All before Inter begin their Club World Cup campaign against Monterrey in California on June 17. A number of England's squad are also set to feature at the Club World Cup just after Thomas Tuchel's second camp in charge. England play a World Cup qualifier against Andorra at Espanyol's RCDE Stadium on June 7 before a friendly with Senegal on June 10 the Nottingham Forest's City Ground. The likes of Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) and Cole Palmer (Chelsea) will all then be part of the Club World Cup a matter of days later. FIFA's rules for this summer's event stipulate that all teams must arrive at their chosen training bases in the U.S. 'no fewer than three days before their opening match'. Do the workload concerns persist or have those been allayed? The battle lines have been drawn and are not going anywhere. That was best illustrated by the two separate legal challenges launched last year, with FIFA's scheduling of the Club World Cup considered the tipping point in a long-running debate focused on the workloads of elite players. Last June saw two of Europe's biggest players unions, the English PFA and its French counterparts, the Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionnels, join forces to launch a case against FIFA, arguing the rights of its members were being violated under European Union (EU) laws. In October, it was the turn of FIFPro and the European Leagues, who represent 39 leagues in 33 countries, to file a complaint to the European Commission to protect the welfare of its players. Those challenges continue to rumble on and underline seemingly irreconcilable differences between stakeholders. FIFA argues that its new tournament aligns with unchanged attempts to 'protect the overall interests of world football… at all levels of the game' and has accused major European leagues opposed to the Club World Cup of acting with 'hypocrisy and self-interest'. FIFA has also consistently stressed that the football calendar, one that will run until 2030, was decided in consultation with all stakeholders, including player unions, before it was signed off. FIFPro, among others, disagrees. It sees no room for the Club World Cup to be played every four years, especially given the expansion of other leading competitions, including the Champions League and World Cup, which will be a 48-team event for the first time next summer. Last month, data from FIFPro and Football benchmark suggested players headed to the Club World Cup would be among the most overworked. In figures updated to April 1, they outlined that Benfica's Turkey international Kerem Akturkoglu had already played 55 games this season, while estimating that Federico Valverde, of Real Madrid and Uruguay, could eventually take part in 78 games this season. The highest figure possible for Valverde has since fallen to 73 but the 26-year-old has already made 62 appearances for club and country since starting the European Super Cup final on August 14. The concern is also for the long-term prospects of elite players. The 2025-26 Premier League season starts on August 16, less than five weeks after the final of the Club World Cup. A two-week break could be all that players can realistically expect should their team go all the way. Any reluctance of clubs to participate has at least eased in the light of FIFA's distribution packages. A total purse of $1billion (£750,000) will be up for grabs among the 32 teams, with the eventual winners standing to make $125million. Are there any other concerns ahead of the tournament? Some of the biggest fears, primarily around the delay in signing a television rights deal, have been largely allayed. The tournament will be broadcast on DAZN, with sublicensing agreements in place for other countries, including Channel 5 in the United Kingdom. Several commercial deals have also been secured, albeit some — such as those with brewers AB InBev, electronics firm Hisense, soft drinks manufacturers Coca-Cola and financial services giants Visa — are already partners with FIFA. The Athletic has also reported about concerns within the U.S. government about the prospect of hundreds of thousands of visa applications ahead of the Club World Cup, and many more for the 2026 World Cup. Speaking in relation to the 2026 World Cup, Vice President J.D. Vance said on Tuesday: 'I know we'll have visitors probably from close to 100 countries. We want them to come, we want them to celebrate, we want them to watch the game. But when the time is up, they'll have to go home, otherwise they'll have to talk to Secretary (of Homeland Security Kristi) Noem.' (Top photo: Lionel Messi;)
CAF
25-04-2025
- Sport
- CAF
Dlamini lauds CAF's Protect The Dream programme and fight against fake player agents
Young African players falling victim to prowling fake player agents will soon be history. These were the sentiments shared by CAF Legend, Amanda Dlamini on Thursday, 24 April when speaking to CAFOnline on the sidelines of the ongoing CAF African Schools Football Championship Ghana 2025 in Accra. Dlamini is amongst a host of legends that are playing a mentorship and support role at the four-day competition involving eight nations in both the boys and girls' divisions of the competition currently underway between 23 – 26 April. As part of its holistic approach to youth football development, CAF has been rolling out a series of workshops at the finals that are designed to educate players on various off the field matters, to ensure that their talent is supported by education. Part of the programmes running parallel to the football action include the Protect The Dream campaign which is supported by CAF's partnership with FIFPro. Through the partnership, young African players are guided on various ways of identifying fake player agents who prey on African players' ambitions of playing professional football. 'I think CAF has really taken a giant step with this important initiative. We come from Africa, very disadvantaged, some of us, also are girls who could fall into the danger. So, you could be very desperate for a contract and be taken advantage of. You could get swept away, and you make some of these mistakes. So, I'm glad CAF emphasizes double-checking, triple-checking, if you have to, and where you can report these fake agents', said the Dlamini. The former Banyana Banyana skipper heaped praise on CAF's invitation of former players who also shared their experiences of encountering fake player agents while in their youth. 'Speaking with some of these legends, they made some of these mistakes. I, too, when I graduated in the United States, thought it was a good contract. And when I had just signed a two-year contract, I had to pay for my own food, my own accommodations. I think hearing these stories, they're not stories that are isolated when you hear from people who are in front of them. I think for CAF to bring us such legends, to be part of the program, they'll understand that these are real-life instances, and they must be careful at all times', she concluded. CAF's "Protect the Dream" programme is a dedicated initiative aimed at safeguarding African football players' careers, health, and well-being. Launched in 2023 under the the CAF Safeguarding programme, it seeks to address the holistic needs of players at all career stages, from emerging talents to retired legends through providing resources and support to ensure safe and fulfilling careers in football.
New York Times
27-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Buckle up for 16 months of wall-to-wall football (just don't tell the players)
Thomas Tuchel is worried. The new coach of the England men's national team is concerned that his players will be burned out by the time they arrive in North America next summer for the 2026 World Cup. 'I am not so concerned about the number of games the players play in total,' said Tuchel. 'I am more concerned that they never have a real break of three to four weeks.' Advertisement The German is not the first to raise the issue. Last year, FIFPro, the international players' union, made its feelings known about the demands placed on athletes within the men's game, echoing concerns expressed by a range of players, including Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Rodri about the lack of breaks from the physical demands of competitive matches. It is worse for some than others. Take Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson. He has been out injured since February but is expected to be available again soon. It is extremely unlikely he will play every game possible and also that Chelsea and his national team, Senegal, will go the distance in every competition they are in, but if they did he could theoretically be involved in more than 100 matches between now and the end of the 2026 World Cup. Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi could find himself in a similar position. His most recent significant break from action came last summer — around a month between a couple of World Cup qualifying matches for Morocco and the start of pre-season with his club. He is unlikely to get another lengthy breather from top-level action for over a year, with club and international commitments filling his diary well into the 2026-27 campaign if Morocco qualify for the 2026 World Cup. He could also surpass 100 games in the 480 days between now and the World Cup final. FIFPro's workload monitoring tool, which keeps track of 1,500 footballers spread across the globe, illustrated how 54 per cent of players experienced 'excessive or high workload demands' during the 2023-24 season. It highlighted Argentina striker Julian Alvarez, who was involved in 83 matchday squads for club and country across the campaign. The union is calling for action to prevent player burnout. But there will be no let-up for the foreseeable future, as the game prepares for a 16-month slog, which includes an Africa Cup of Nations, an expanded Club World Cup, huge matches in domestic and European competitions and the biggest World Cup ever. The next 16 months will be dizzying for fans and exhausting for players. Below is an outline of what that schedule will look like (this article focuses on the men's game only; all dates based on GMT). Domestic league and cup games, UEFA club competitions, international friendlies/World Cup qualifiers/Nations League, CONCACAF Champions Cup Key dates: Steve Bruce, the former Manchester United manager and veteran Premier League and English Football League manager, speaks often about the season hitting a new level of intensity 'when the daffodils come out'. The end of the current international break — this has included World Cup qualifiers and the latter stages of the Nations League — and the arrival of spring bring a non-stop sprint to the finish in the domestic league season. Advertisement Premier League clubs have nine more league games to play and at least two clubs can look forward to three more games in the FA Cup. The Premier League season ends on May 25, as does La Liga in Spain and Serie A in Italy, while France's Ligue 1 and the German Bundesliga end a week earlier. In the U.S., the MLS regular season, which began in February, continues through until October. Select MLS teams also enter the U.S. Open Cup — the American equivalent to the FA Cup — the first week of May. European competitions also finish in May, culminating in the Champions League final in Munich on May 31. The Concacaf Champions Cup — North America, Central America and the Caribbean's equivalent of Europe's Champions League — began in February and reaches the quarter-finals stage in early April, with the semi-finals to follow later the same month and into early May. Post-season tours, international friendlies or qualifiers, Concacaf Champions Cup, Concacaf Gold Cup, Club World Cup Key dates: It was once a familiar sight to see players leaving the final games of the league season in shorts and flip-flops and boarding flights a few hours later to the beaches of Europe and beyond. Not this year. The Champions League final and the Concacaf Champions Cup final are on the same weekend, and are followed immediately by a nine-day international window. Most European nations will play two games in either World Cup qualifying or the Nations League. For many players, there will be just a five-day break before the start of the expanded Club World Cup, featuring 32 teams from around the globe. The winners and runners-up will play seven games in a month — three group matches and four more in the knockout stage — culminating in the final in New Jersey on July 13. At the same time, the Concacaf Gold Cup will be taking place in the United States and Canada, running from June 14 to July 6. Those players not involved in internationals or the Club World Cup are not guaranteed a break, either, with clubs increasingly cashing in commercially with overseas post-season tours. Manchester United have two games in Malaysia and Hong Kong, while Liverpool are flying halfway around the world for a trip to Australia. Pre-season tours, Club World Cup, Concacaf Gold Cup, Leagues Cup Key dates: For European clubs, the first week in July is the traditional start of pre-season training. Many clubs excuse their international players from the first phase of this to provide a manufactured break but, with the new Premier League season starting in mid-August, the scope for giving players a rest is limited. And increasingly clubs are clocking up air miles for pre-season games in Asia, the United States or Australia. Speaking of the U.S., the Leagues Cup — the tournament between Liga MX and MLS teams — gets underway in July. Pre-season tours, domestic leagues begin, domestic cup games, UEFA club competitions, international qualifiers/friendlies, MLS Cup playoffs Key dates: The first games of the 2025-26 Premier League season will kick off on the weekend of August 16, with La Liga due to begin a few days later and the other major European leagues likely to start around the same time. For international players, there will be no breaks and many air miles until the end of the season. Advertisement There are windows for up to six international games in September, October and November before a relentless sequence of games through to Christmas. October marks the start of the MLS Cup play-offs. Last season's winners, LA Galaxy, played five matches en route to being crowned champions, though that figure can be as high as seven, depending on seeding and results. MLS will release the play-off schedule at a later date. Domestic league and cup games, UEFA club competitions, MLS Cup, Africa Cup of Nations, international qualifiers/friendlies, post-season tours, international friendlies, World Cup Key dates: Speaking of air miles, some of Africa's top players will be missing from club duty for up to a month across December and January so they can play in the continent's premier international tournament, the Africa Cup of Nations. The teams that reach the final of the tournament in Morocco will play seven games in four weeks (as will the losing semi-finalists, due to the competition's third-place play-off). Then, from mid-January, the club season will take centre stage again, punctuated by one more two-game international break in March, a two-game slot for pre-World Cup friendlies in mid-June before the tournament itself begins on June 11. And by the time the final is played in New Jersey on July 19, another club pre-season will already be in full swing.
South China Morning Post
19-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Openly gay Australian football player still faces online death threats
The first openly gay man to play in Australia's domestic soccer league says he is still subject to death threats four years after going public about his sexuality. Advertisement Josh Cavallo, who plays for Adelaide United in the A-League, told the FIFPro Footballers Unfiltered podcast that 'in a world of football, being a gay … player is a very toxic place'. 'I still think we're a very, very long way from being accepted in this space, unfortunately,' he said. Cavallo was 21 in 2021 when he decided to come out, acknowledging his video message 'took the world of football for a shock'. He still regards it as 'the best move and decision' he is made, but warns that there's 'mountains of downside'. In the podcast, he asked rhetorically: 'Why has no one ever come out to be themselves and be successful and play?' Advertisement 'And I understand that now looking back – all the negativity, all the things that come your way, there's multiple, multiple, multiple death threats that come my way daily, still, and it's quite sad to see.'
