FIFA comes under fire: EC decries crowded match calendar 

The backrooms and corridors of football are heating up as European Leagues (EL) and FIFPRO Europe plan to file a complaint with the European Commission (EC) against FIFA‘s match calendar.

On the surface, football in Europe could not be in a better position… financially that is. 

In the past week, Real Madrid was named football’s most valuable brand, valued at €1.7bn for the recent season, according to Brand Finance. Additionally, UEFA has brought on Two Circles to identify new opportunities and revenue streams to support the ongoing growth of the women’s game.

Financial success is nothing new, as football has long been a lucrative sport. Various factors contribute to this monetary success, including sponsorship deals, rising ticket sales and prices, and television rights. 

The challenge with these revenue sources is that they depend on playing games to generate income – an issue FIFA has been gradually working to address for several years.

Since the ‘beautiful game’ was created, the growth of leagues and competitions has led to an increase in the number of games each club is expected to play. In recent years, this has become a concern, as both medical experts and players have begun to feel the strain.

FIFPRO Europe, the global union for professional footballers, has long highlighted this issue and has now brought it into the spotlight with plans to file a complaint with the EC against FIFA’s match calendar.

The union has stated that the international match calendar is “beyond saturation” and “unsustainable for national leagues,” posing a risk to players’ health. The union explained that “FIFA’s decisions over the last years have repeatedly favoured its own competitions and commercial interests”.

In a public announcement, FIFPRO said that it feels legal action is the only responsible step for EL and player unions to protect football.

This isn’t the first time EL and players have complained about the calendar to FIFA, however. In June, the English, French and Italian player unions brought an action with the Brussels commercial court.

This recent complaint and the one in June have been brewing for a long time, but FIFA’s decision to expand its Club World Cup competition pushes the unions over the edge, labelling the plans as a “tipping point”. 

The revamped competition will feature 32 clubs and their players in a new tournament in the US, running from mid-June to mid-July 2025. 

This event, including preparation periods and travel, is likely to add up to six weeks of extra play. With an already crowded schedule, players are concerned about not having a proper annual break. FIFA has responded, however, with a fiery statement on its X page.

The current calendar was unanimously approved by the FIFA Council, which is composed of representatives from all continents, including Europe, following a comprehensive and inclusive consultation, which included FIFPRO and league bodies.

FIFA’s calendar is the only instrument… pic.twitter.com/kpmUItrimN

— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) July 23, 2024

To begin with, FIFA stated that the calendar was unanimously approved by the FIFA Council, which counts representatives from all continents, including Europe. The governing body claimed this decision followed a comprehensive and inclusive consultation process that involved FIFPRO and league bodies – a claim FIFPRO disputes.

FIFA then said that the calendar is the only tool to ensure international football survives alongside its domestic counterpart before going on the offensive and labelling EL as hypocrites. 

An excerpt from the statement read: “Some leagues in Europe – themselves competition organisers and regulators – are acting with commercial self-interest, hypocrisy, and without consideration to everyone else in the world. Those leagues apparently prefer a calendar filled with friendlies and summer tours, often involving extensive global travel.”

Just as FIFA has been pushing to add more games to the schedule, European clubs have been doing the same. Currently, teams are on pre-season tours around the world, often charging high ticket prices aimed at eager international fans excited to see their favourite teams.

These tours also allow clubs to expand into new markets, thus generating more money through merchandise sales and sponsorship opportunities. 

For instance, Bundesliga club Stuttgart recently partnered with an online casino called Lucky Block. The brand isn’t advertised to German supporters; instead, it’s targeted at the Asian market. The team is currently on a pre-season tour in Japan ahead of the new season.

Additionally, there has been increased discussion around the possibility of European teams playing league matches in North America, which Insider Sport interviewed Neil Joyce, CEO of CLV Group, about earlier this month. 

So has FIFA got a point? The truth as always lies somewhere in between.

Is it true that the Club World Cup tournament is not taken seriously by clubs and adding more games is a way to make more money? Yes. 

Is it true that European clubs prefer to organise pre-season tours to keep most of the profits and control the scheduling? Also, yes.

However, it’s also true that these views prioritise self-interest and profit over the well-being of players.

Looking forward, it will be interesting to see what comes out of these complaints and which party will back down first.

The newly elected Labour government has also made clear that football regulation is a priority, passing the long-awaited Football Governance Bill, which may come into use if players’ calls for change are not answered.