JUST IN: Footballers’ Unions Sue FIFA Over Club World Cup Schedule 

JUST IN: Footballers’ Unions Sue FIFA Over Club World Cup Schedule 

On Thursday, the English and French footballers’ unions (PFA and UNFP) filed a lawsuit in Brussels against FIFA, contesting the governing body’s imposed schedule, specifically the new Club World Cup slated for 2025.

The players’ unions argue that the expanded tournament, scheduled for June and July 2025 in the US, unfairly burdens players.

The organisations “believe that these decisions violate the rights of players and their unions under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights while also potentially violating EU competition law”, the global professional footballers union FIFPRO said in a statement.

With FIFPRO’s backing, the unions have requested that the Brussels Commercial Court refer the case to the European Union’s Court of Justice, posing four key questions for a preliminary ruling.

“Players and their unions have consistently highlighted the current football calendar as overloaded and unworkable”, the unions said in their statement.