The move by FIFA to expand the Club World Cup in 2025 just adds to the ever-growing fixture congestion. With UEFA changing the Champions League format next season the amount of games just grows and grows. In an already crowded footballing calendar, another major tournament will just add to the lack of breaks and add more fatigue and likely injuries to the players.
Speaking before Manchester City’s FIFA World Club Cup semi-final against Urawa Red Diamonds Bernardo Silva spoke of the challenges faced with the growing fixture list. When asked about the expanded tournament he said: “The reality is that the amount of games we have nowadays, and even more with the new competitions, it’s a bit crazy because of the (lack of) rest players get, and then the risk of injuries goes up quite a lot.”
City’s dynamic midfielder added: “I am not going to lie, sometimes I feel tired. We play every three days, we don’t rest. We have no Christmas, we have no summer. But that’s the price you pay for being at a top club and fighting for all competitions, and in the end, our dream was to play at this level.’
If a player who works so tirelessly and appears so energetic in Bernardo Silva is feeling tired then it does seem that football is heading to a breaking point. So much football squeezed into a congested calendar means at some point the game will suffer. With extra fatigue and travel added onto the player’s workload eventually injuries will rise. The last international break saw a plethora of stars pick up serious injuries.
Manchester City will feature in the expanded FIFA Club World Cup in 2025. While it will be a special occasion you do wonder what the cost will become of so much football on the calendar.
