The International Football Federation has denied, in a letter addressed to the World Association of Leagues and the world players’ union (Fifpro), having “imposed” the international calendar while the two organizations are opposed to the holding of the World Cup. clubs in 2025 on the dates planned by Fifa.
In a letter addressed on May 2 to the president of Fifa, Gianni Infantino, a copy of which AFP obtained on Thursday, the World Leagues and Fifpro maintained that the competition calendar was now “beyond saturation” and had summoned the body to modify the programming of the Club World Cup, expanded to 32 teams and which is to be held from June 15 to July 13, 2025 in the United States.
“We reject any suggestion that Fifa would in any way impose the international calendar on the football community without adequate consultation or to conform to its own commercial strategy,” the acting secretary general of FIFA responded to them. Fifa Mattias Grafstorm in a letter that AFP was able to consult.
“As the world governing body of football, we have a duty and responsibility to design and implement an international calendar which is in the best interests of world football, including, among others, the interests of the confederations, national teams, leagues, clubs, players and, of course, football fans. You will understand that this is a delicate and demanding balancing act, and that it is not always possible to satisfy everyone in this regard,” added the leader.
Fifa thus claims to have “carried out this exercise effectively and judiciously” and indicates that “any suggestion that it is not doing so, or has not done so, is simply not supported by the facts” , specifying that the subject of the international calendar had been discussed on several occasions with the World Association of Football Leagues and Fifpro in 2021 and 2022.
“The strategic principles of the international calendar for 2025-2030 were approved by the Fifa Council on December 16, 2022 and, subsequently, the calendar itself was approved by the Fifa Council on March 14, 2023,” continues the body which invites the World Association of Football Leagues and Fifpro to resume “dialogue” with it.
