Soccer's scheduling crisis: Who's to blame?

Since the start of the 2024 soccer calendar, players and fans have fought the crisis of a bloated schedule. A club like Manchester City will effectively play a nonstop schedule in 2024/25. That includes the Premier League, two domestic cups (FA Cup and League Cup), UEFA Champions League, FA Community Shield, and friendlies across the United States. That amounts to roughly 63 games in one year, depending on how deep the team goes into the cup competitions.

Such a widespread issue does not have one culprit. All governing bodies for soccer, from domestic to international levels, are culpable for this new pandemic of games.

Looking across the globe, there have been competitions that are secondary in the pecking order that create more games. These tournaments, which often include every team in a league, are different from traditional domestic or international cups.

Too many games, too many competitions for players

In the United States, the US Open Cup is the oldest domestic soccer competition. That did not stop Major League Soccer from expanding the Leagues Cup in 2023 with each team in MLS along with all Liga MX clubs. In England, the FA Cup is historically significant. However, there is also the EFL Cup, or Carabao Cup based on sponsorship reasons, that includes all teams in the top four divisions.

Even FIFA wanted to make more out of its Club World Cup. Rather than a representative from each of the six confederations, the 2025 Club World Cup, the tournament in the United States will have 32 teams.

It does not stop there. The number of new competitions added to various soccer schedules is diverse. This problem is not exclusive to Europe or North America. However, the fact remains consistent that it harms players because they play so many games at a high level.

New soccer competitions added or expanded in recent years

• Leagues Cup (expansion)
• FIFA Club World Cup (expansion)
• UEFA Champions League (expansion)
• UEFA Conference League
• NWSL Challenge Cup
• USL Jägermeister Cup
• UEFA Nations League
• Concacaf Nations League
• Supercopa de España (expansion)
• Supercoppa Italiana (expansion)

The goal of organizing bodies is to, as they say, create more opportunities for teams to play in bigger competitions. The 2025 Club World Cup provides global teams “with a fitting stage on which to shine at the highest level of the game,” according to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Yet, in reality, this is a move to force clubs to play more games and give organizers more money. Top players and managers have voiced their dissatisfaction with the 2025 Club World Cup, including Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti. The latter even mentioned the chance of a boycott of the tournament. Those managers want to protect their players, as City star Rodri said the match calendar is far too congested. The ignorance of FIFA and UEFA has led Rodri to mention the possibility of a strike.

The fact remains that player health is a top concern, and it is disregarded by governing bodies. However, tournaments and leagues have to stay competitive with one another. UEFA cannot risk the Club World Cup being more popular than it. With more teams and games in the Club World Cup, the Champions League expanded its format.

One would think broadcasters would be more enticed by this. The oversaturation of the soccer market has not been kind to FIFA though. The organization has struggled to land broadcasting rights because of general disinterest in the tournament. This shows that governing bodies have overestimated how much soccer fans want to see.

Correcting the wrongs in the soccer schedule crisis

There is not one remedy for what can solve this pandemic of soccer’s growing calendar crisis. FIFA, UEFA, and like-minded organizers will not stop their plans because of the prospect of more money. Furthermore, smaller clubs and nations that have the chance to play more games and earn more money from competitions like the Conference League will take every opportunity.

It may take bold action from players like Rodri or managers like Carlo Ancelotti. Players and coaches must take a stand to show their dissatisfaction. Words can only do so much, particularly with how stubborn FIFA and UEFA have been in propagating the number of fixtures. Or, the onus falls on fans. The lack of interest from broadcasters for the Club World Cup shows the disinterest from supporters. Depending on in-person support during the Club World Cup in 2025 in the United States, the tournament’s success will be evident.

If it is weak, it could be a statement to organizers that fans do not need more games, they want better games.

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