Recently, FIFA has been heavily criticized for creating a new version of the Club World Cup tournament with the participation of 32 clubs from around the world.
The Premier League could have just 18 teams competing in the not too distant future.
The tournament starts in 2025 and is held every four years. This means that players from top clubs have almost no time to rest, as the World Cup and EURO also take place at similar intervals in even-numbered years.
Reducing the workload for players is necessary and according to many sources, FIFA is planning to require Europe's top national leagues to have a maximum of 18 clubs. FIFA's purpose is to help teams have more time to rest and prepare for international tournaments.
This seems reasonable but it affects clubs in leagues like the Premier League or La Liga. Fewer matches per season will also lead to a decrease in revenue.
The Sun quoted La Liga President Javier Tebas as saying that around 70 more players in Spain will be unemployed when La Liga cuts the number of teams from 20 to 18. Meanwhile, another source confirmed that the Premier League's board of directors, including CEO Richard Masters, was convinced by FIFA to reduce the number of participating teams from 20 to 18.
Currently, in the top 5 European national championships in England, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, the leagues in England, Spain, Italy are maintaining the 20-team format. Meanwhile, in France and Germany, each league only has 18 teams.
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