FIFA released 2025 Club World Cup rulebook, including provisions for full strength squads and limited rest.
FIFA has outlined regulations for its controversial Club World Cup, a 32-team, 63-game tournament to be held in the United States next summer.
Among them is a requirement that all clubs field their strongest teams, with heavy sanctions threatened if they refuse to do so.
Also included in regulations announced Tuesday is a provision that, according to ESPN, requires player to report “3-5 days” before their opening fixture, set for June 15.
With an international window scheduled from June 6-10, it will leave many top players no time for rest at the end of a packed 2024-25 season.
Furthermore, clubs aren’t required to release players for major tournaments, potentially harming the strength of the USMNT at the Gold Cup, due to be played next July.
The rules follow months of controversy and uncertainty as to whether the tournament would actually happen.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has long supported the competition, which will feature 32 clubs from around the globe.
The oft-criticized president announced all venues for the competition at Global Citizen musical festival in New York in September.
A venue for the final, though, is yet to be picked.
Despite all indications that the tournament is set to go ahead, FIFA hasn’t secured a broadcast rights deal.
Apple reportedly bid $1 billion for global rights, a figure reported to be four times less than the figure football’s worldwide governing body was seeking.
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The tournament will start on June 15. Inter Miami will play in the opening game at Hard Rock Stadium against an undisclosed opponent.
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