- An expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup will be held in the US next summer
- Clubs fear that the Premier League will be shortened to prevent crowds on the playing field
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There are reportedly fears that FIFA may want to impose 18-team competitions worldwide, including the Premier League, due to the expansion of the Club World Cup.
The governing body – led by president Gianni Infantino – announced plans to hold a 32-team tournament in the US next summer to determine the best club in the world, with the likes of Manchester City, Real Madrid and Chelsea taking part. .
However, clubs in Europe’s top leagues are very concerned about the toll this will take on players, something Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta recently pointed out.
According to The sunClubs are concerned that FIFA will try to combat this problem by reducing the number of teams in each competition to 18, meaning each club would play 34 matches instead of 38.
One source said: ‘We all think this is FIFA’s ultimate goal, to find a way to get us down to 18.
There are reportedly fears that FIFA may want to impose 18-team competitions around the world
An 18-team Premier League would mean each club playing 34 matches instead of the usual 38
‘What you can put your money on is that the working group says that there is too much domestic football, that we should all go from twenty to eighteen clubs and that international matches have the least impact on players.
“We wouldn’t be surprised if they have already written down their conclusions.”
It comes after FIFA was threatened with legal action by players’ unions and world leagues if it does not move the expanded Club World Cup in 2025.
The Premier League and LaLiga leaders have also threatened to withdraw their teams unless the revamped competition is rescheduled
Last month, Premier League CEO Richard Masters declared that football is at a ‘tipping point’, with players being asked to play more games than ever before.
“It goes without saying that if you overload the calendar and the players, at some point something has to be done,” Masters said.
Richard Masters (left) and Javier Tebas (right) are concerned about the newly expanded Club World Cup and are reportedly threatening to boycott the tournament altogether
‘It’s coming to a tipping point. The feedback we get from players is that there is too much football being played and there is constant expansion.”
The Club World Cup runs from June 15 to July 13, 2025, depriving some clubs of the opportunity to recover in the off-season and prepare for the new Premier League campaign.
If FIFA upholds the rule, the Bundesliga, Portuguese League and Belgian League, among others, will remain unaffected as there are already 18 or fewer teams competing in their respective leagues.