The format of the new Club World Cup has raised some concerns, and a special regulation on transfers is being introduced by the governing body.
FIFA announced recently that it will open an additional transfer window for the newly expanded Club World Cup, which will feature 32 teams and significantly reshape the football calendar. The window will run from June 1 to June 10, just before the tournament kicks off. This move is designed to allow teams to register new signings in compliance with their federations’ rules, ensuring these players are eligible to participate in the competition.
FIFA ‘sign-up’ request
At the same time, FIFA encourages players whose contracts end on June 30 to negotiate short-term agreements to enable them to start and finish the tournament, as June 30 is typically the cutoff date for player-club contracts. The Club World Cup will extend beyond that date, running from June 15 to July 13. A similar situation occurred during the pandemic-era Champions League, where players had to sign short-term extensions to continue playing into July.
The opening of this new transfer window will allow clubs to sign players for the entire tournament or, in cases where contracts begin on July 1, from the second phase of the competition onward. There may even be instances where deals are arranged for June 1 instead of July 1, specifically for the tournament. However, FIFA’s regulations will prevent players from switching teams mid-tournament.
Can players register with two teams?
Even if a player’s contract allows it, the competition rules will prohibit a player from being registered with two teams simultaneously. This prevents situations like a player starting the tournament with one club and finishing it with another. For instance, a player like Alphonso Davies, who is reportedly close to a move to Real Madrid from Bayern Munich, would not be allowed to play for both teams in the same tournament.
A more practical example involved Kylian Mbappé. Last year, the French star’s contract with PSG expired on June 30, and by July 1, he was a Madrid player. If such a scenario were to occur during the Club World Cup, without this rule in place, a player could theoretically start the tournament with PSG and finish with Los Blancos.
FIFA acknowledges that this condition could disrupt the competition’s natural flow, which is why they are making it clear: a player who starts the Club World Cup with one team cannot finish it with another.
