MLS boss: FIFA suit could spark schedule change

Major League Soccer president Don Garber said the recent antitrust lawsuit before the European Commission in Brussels could spark change to the congested global calendar.

On Tuesday, LaLiga president Javier Tebas said that FIFA’s 2025 Club World Cup, which still does not have sponsorship or broadcast deals, should be cancelled.

Garber said he recognises the concern over the revamped 32-team Club World Cup to be hosted in the United States.

He warned there could be danger of oversaturation in football but sees how the lawsuit could actually be a pathway to a more palatable global calendar and greater collaboration between governing bodies and leagues.

“I read about the lawsuits just the other day, but sometimes it takes a little disruption to get everybody to sit at the same table and make the right decisions,” Garber told reporters at The Summit, part of Leaders Week London.

“I would hope that you make those right decisions, because you’re basing those decisions on data, fact and research and strategy, but if not, sometimes you have to be forced to make those decisions.”

The new tournament from football’s world governing body, featuring 12 European clubs, will come after a season featuring an expanded Champions League and before an enlarged 48-team World Cup in 2026, hosted in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

“We all need to be mindful of the calendar, and I understand Javier’s views,” Garber said.

Top players have criticised the ever-increasing fixture schedule, with some talking of strike action.

European Leagues, players’ union FIFPRO Europe and LaLiga jointly filed a complaint to EU antitrust regulators this week against FIFA’s international match calendar.

“I think we’ve got to all work to see whether or not we can be a more engaged part of the decision-making process, and I would include that in the Club World Cup. We as a league are as mindful as everybody else about the toll on our players and all the various competitions they have to compete in,” Garber said.

The 2025 Club World Cup, due to run from June 15-July 13, will be held around the same time as Concacaf’s Gold Cup, to be hosted on the Western Coast of the U.S. and Canada.

The MLS season is set to resume after that as well as European leagues.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Tuesday began a tour of U.S. cities that will host the Club World Cup.

Former Barcelona and Spain defender Gerard Piqué on Wednesday said it was the responsibility of all football organisations to find a solution.

“There are too many games, and we are seeing now players saying ‘listen, we are getting injured. There are games every three days, we don’t have time to rest in summer’,” the 37-year-old told The Summit, part of Leaders Week London.

“I would suggest to reduce the games,” he added when asked what he would do if he were in charge of global football.

“Go to the leagues and say, ‘listen, instead of 20 teams, why you don’t do leagues of 16 teams.

“And at the same time, I would go to UEFA and say, ‘why you create this Nations League, which is the new competition that is difficult to follow’ and I will go to FIFA and say, ‘okay, don’t do this FIFA World Cup of clubs that you created now.’

“I understand that they want to generate more revenues, but for the sake of football, I think that it could be much better to have less games, more premium and more exclusive [experiences] and it will be much easier also to follow from the audience point of view, and for players it will be less games.”