The PFA, an organization that advocates for players in the Premier League and other leagues, declared that the choice “was taken without negotiation or engagement with player unions”.
The event was described as “a tipping point for the football calendar and the ability of players to take meaningful breaks between seasons” .
Along with other European players’ unions, the legal action was filed in the Belgian legal system and demands that FIFA renounce its ambitions to hold the 32-team championship in June and July of 2025.
Last month, the World Leagues Association and the global players’ union FIFPRO wrote to FIFA president Gianni Infantino requesting that it not proceed.
According to their letter, FIFA’s decision to add games was “inherently abusive”.
After Manchester City won the event in December, the once highly regarded annual seven-team competition will now take place every four years in the Club World Cup.
There would be twelve European teams competing, and following a three-team group stage, there would be four further matches leading up to the championship.
The Premier League’s Richard Masters recently voiced his displeasure with FIFA for not consulting him on the competition, which comes after UEFA extended the Champions League to include more matches for the upcoming season.
“The feedback we have from players is that there is too much football being played,” he stated.
