Clubs will be able to refuse to release players to the Africa Cup of Nations under FIFA rules if the competition ends in January 2026 as expected.
The PA news agency understands that the AFCON due to be played in the summer of 2025 has been postponed, partly due to FIFA’s scheduling of the 32-team Club World Cup.
It is understood the new dates will be from December 21 to January 18, cutting into the Premier League’s festive schedule and just missing either side of the Champions League dates.
However, FIFA rules governing the release of players appear to mean clubs have the right to block players going to AFCON or the World Cup later in 2026.
“It is not mandatory to release the same player to more than one final ‘A’ national team competition per year,” FIFA’s regulations on the status and transfer of players state.
AFCON 2021 was eventually played in January and February 2022, but in that case the postponement by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) was due to the Covid-19 pandemic and not another tournament.
FIFA has been contacted for comment.
The calendar clash comes as FIFA faces a legal challenge in Belgian courts from players’ unions, including the Professional Footballers’ Association, over the scheduling of the Club World Cup.
Unions are asking the European Court of Justice to issue a preliminary ruling on whether FIFA breached the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in its decision to introduce a new Club World Cup format.
“Everyone in football knows that the fixture calendar is broken to the point where it has now become unworkable,” PFA chief executive Maheta Molango said last week.
“Too many people in football behave as if they are exempt from the normal demands of employers and employees. The players don’t listen to each other and want to see action.”
