The highly anticipated 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, featuring 32 teams from across the globe, presents a potential setback for the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) as it prepares for the 2026 World Cup. A newly announced FIFA rule could significantly impact USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino’s plans.

FIFA has recently declared that clubs participating in the Club World Cup are not obligated to release their players for international duty during the tournament. This ruling has immediate implications for the USMNT, as several key players compete for clubs slated to participate in the tournament.

The presence of Borussia Dortmund and Juventus means that Gio Reyna, Tim Weah, and Weston McKennie could be unavailable for national team call-ups during a crucial period.

US football legend Landon Donovan expressed his concerns regarding the scheduling conflict on a recent episode of the Unfiltered Soccer podcast. Donovan criticized FIFA’s approach to scheduling, emphasizing the physical toll on players. “My initial reaction to all this is, at what point does FIFA just stop adding more games and tournaments? The players are suffering physically,” Donovan stated.

Impact on Pochettino’s preparations

Donovan further highlighted the impact this rule will have on Pochettino’s ability to prepare the USMNT for the 2026 World Cup. The Club World Cup is a crucial opportunity for Pochettino to assess players’ form, experiment with tactics, and build team cohesion in meaningful matches ahead of the World Cup. The potential absence of three key players during this period poses a serious challenge for the coach.

“Pochettino is thinking, ‘Okay, now I’m going to miss three of my best players for a national team camp and a tournament that’s our only chance now, before the World Cup, to play in meaningful games’,” Donovan pointed out.

The conflict between club and international football continues to be a major challenge for governing bodies like FIFA. The desire to stage exciting global competitions must be carefully balanced against the need to allow national teams adequate time to prepare for major tournaments. The current ruling creates a significant disadvantage for nations whose key players are involved with clubs participating in the Club World Cup.