FIFA Club World Cup to clash with Women's Euro 2025

Amid concerns about player burnout, a lack of consultation and a weariness at futher expansion of an already bloated football calendar, the scheduling clash between FIFA's new 32-team men's Club World Cup in the USA and UEFA's Women's Euros in 2025 has largely been glossed over.

With the women's game experiencing unprecedented growth spurred on by Euro 2022 in England and cemented by the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, there are concerns about having to compete for attention with FIFA President Gianni Infantino's new attempt to expand FIFA's influence on the ever-more lucrative men's club game 

UEFA, European football's governing body, recently awarded Euro 2025 to Switzerland. They told DW it is "essential that the women's international match calendar, including its final tournaments, are rolled out with consistent timings," meaning that it's tournament will run from July 2 to 27, much as the 2022 tournament did. The women's Africa Cup of Nations is likely to run at a similar time, though dates are unconfirmed. 

"Women's tournaments shall not be simply moved around the men's game and therefore accept an irregular scheduling every year," the statement from UEFA continued, before acknowledging that: "Since the two tournaments will be played in two different continents and different time zones, we do not envision many matches being scheduled at the same time across the two tournaments."

The Swiss FA responded to DW's query with a remarkably similar statement while FIFA confirmed that the calendar was agreed with all federations, including UEFA, but that the "most balanced solution" had been found.

"There is an inevitable degree of overlap between competitions and between calendars for both men and women, and this is even more so as women’s game rightfully progresses to sit alongside the men’s game where it belongs," a statement sent to DW read while also pointing to different kickoff times. "FIFA has done it’s upmost, to invest in and develop women’s football in recent years to help expedite this process."

Too much football?

A Club World Cup for women is reportedly in the pipeline. But given theobstacles women's football has had to, and continues to, face, scheduling a men's tournament featuring many of the world's top players between June 15 and July 13, meaning an 11 day overlap, is significant. The success of World Cup 2023 and Euro 2022 proved that standalone women's tournaments can draw large audiences, both on screen and in stadiums. But neither were competing against a major male football tournament.

Infantino's organization have already come in for some criticism for their 2025 plan, notably from Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva.

"We were not consulted but we try to do our job," Silva said when asked whether players had been given a say in the decision ahead of the start of City's current Club World Cup campaign in Saudi Arabia.

"The reality is that the amount of games we have nowadays, and even more with the new competitions, it's a bit crazy because of the [lack of] rest players get, and then the risk of injuries goes up quite a lot."

The Portuguese player went on to say that they "cannot complain because we earn a lot of money" but that he felt the quality of football would suffer from scheduling that makes it "complicated" for elite players to be at peak fitness all the time.

"I am not going to lie, sometimes I feel tired. We play every three days, we don't rest. We have no Christmas, we have no summer. But that's the price you pay for being at a top club and fighting for all competitions, and in the end our dream was to play at this level."

But FIFA's chief of global football development, Arsene Wenger, appeared to dismiss such concerns. 

"I accept that the football calendar is a busy one, but this is a competition that is going to take place every four years and of course the rest period during the competition and afterwards has to be respected," the former Arsenal coach said. 

"The welfare of the players in the last 20 years has increased dramatically as well, when you look at injury prevention, recovery work, nutrition and advances in medical technology. It is unrecognizable from what it used to be."

Player safety at risk

However, global players' union FIFPRO, reacted to FIFA's stance with some dismay.

"Once again, decisions to scale competitions have been introduced without implementing appropriate safeguards, and without any say from the players who are at the forefront of driving the game's popularity and revenue generation with their skill and endeavour," their statement, released on December 17, read.

The union has previously released multiple reports that found the drastically increased load on players from travel and matches has led to increased mental and physical problems for players at the top level. FIFPRO say these players have repeatedly expressed concerns about "exhaustion, physical injuries, mental health issues, diminished performance, and risks to career longevity" but are being "ignored."

The concerns appear to be legitimate, with female players suffering more injuries, particularly to the ACL. A recent survey found that in England's Premier League, where many top internationals play, hamstring injuries are up 96% this season, with all injuries up 55% this term compared to last.

Reasons for this may include the increased workload in England with 20 teams in the league and an extra cup competition, the increase in injury time at the end of matches and the knock-on effects on the 2022 World Cup being played in the middle of the European season.

That final concern may well rear it's head again in 2034, when Infantino has announced the men's World Cup will almost certainly be hosted by Saudi Arabia. But any impact that may have on the players seems not to be of great concern to FIFA.

Edited by: Jonathan Harding