The 2025 Club World Cup continues to talk within the world of football, where some players question the tight calendar ENEL that have to face a season ending loaded with games in their respective leagues, European competitions and a stop of selections a few days before the Tournament organized by the FIFA is carried out.
One of them has been Harry Kane, who after playing the recent FIFA date with England was very critical against the organization of the event, noting that “the players are not heard.”
“To be honest, I don’t think players are heard much, but everyone also wants their part, their tournament, their prize, and players are the ones who have to move on,” said Bayern Munich player in statements that BBC collects.
“But it is what it is. I love playing football, so I’m never going to complain about playing football,” added the scorer of the Bavarian team.
Kane also suggested that it is necessary to establish adequate management so that the players can have more rest in the charge of matches ahead.
“I think that if you manage it well, with your coaches, your manager and your clubs, there are ways to get more rest at certain times. But it is not an easy situation, I think there could be a balance between both parties, but we will have to see how it is resolved,” said the English footballer.
“An impracticable calendar”
But not only Harry Kane has expressed its disagreement with the Club World Cup. Players like Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva or the legendary German former soccer player Karl-Heinz Rummenigge have shown their complaints about the complicated calendar and the little time of rest that the tournament involves in June.
“The calendar is crazy,” said the Portuguese midfielder of Manchester City in September 2024, while his Bruyne partner just said that “next year this will be a problem” when referring to the load of matches.
On the other hand, the Association of Professional Footballers joined a legal action against FIFA in June 2024, one year before the event, waiting to find solutions for soccer players before a calendar “overloaded and impracticable.”
“The legality of FIFA decisions is questioned to unilaterally set the international party calendar and, in particular, the decision to create and schedule the 2025 Club World Cup,” said the trade presented by the Association.
Similarly, FIFPRO, the International Footballers Union, strongly criticized the format and dates on which the Club Tournament will take place, adding that the World Cup “will further disturb national labor markets.”