FIFA’s wild new proposal to jam schedule further after Fowler furore
It is a never-ending debate in the football world – the schedule is too congested. Yet, there is talk that another major competition will be added to the women’s game and will potentially be plonked smack bang into the middle of the European club season.
Fans had only just come to terms with the men’s FIFA World Cup ending and the club season had just kicked off when FIFA’s international window opened again.
24 of the 26 Matildas named to face Germany and Haiti play overseas. Getty
The congested schedule is entertaining for football fanatics who want to watch competitive matches almost every single day, but when do the players actually get to rest?
A number of players will return to club football with a new bruise or injury, while others didn’t even get to make the trip due to their rehabilitation.
And while players do have a three-month break between June and August, that break can be reduced to six weeks if they have international football on the cards.
Data from the 2024-25 international windows showed that five of the top 10 most travelled players in women’s football were Australian. Kyra Cooney-Cross, Charli Grant, Caitlin Foord, Steph Catley and Teagan Micah were the five Aussie globetrotters who racked up thousands of kilometres travelling to play.
That data should not be a surprise, given how far Australia is from the United Kingdom and Europe, where all five players are based. But with more than 20 trips and at least 170 hours spent in the air, their recovery suffers as a result.
Mary Fowler was not listed in the top travellers for the 2025-26 season as she was out for a large portion of it due to an ACL injury, but there is no hiding that like most of her Australian teammates, she is making countless lengthy journeys.
Her decision to withdraw from Australia’s upcoming friendlies due to personal reasons was criticised, given she is not injured nor is she travelling far to play, with the two matches scheduled to take place in Germany and France.
But her decision did raise questions around how much time professional footballers like the Manchester City star get to spend away from the field.
Fowler features in the Champions League, FA Cup and WSL with City. Her Matildas teammates at Arsenal also have the women’s League Cup on their plate.
While some coaches will opt to limit the minutes international stars get when they return home from representing their country, that is not always plausible.
For a team like Arsenal, coach Renée Slegers has to rotate her squad across four competitions, taking into account any injuries that may come along the way.
Arsenal’s Australian stars have had a slow start to the season, with the side sitting 10th on the table. nna\alyssa.bone
She will also have a fifth tournament to consider in the future when the women’s Club World Cup starts, with the Gunners an automatic qualifier into that tournament given they are the 2025 Champions League winners.
The Guardian reports a proposal has been put forward for the tournament to take place during the month of January, which would clash directly with England’s Women’s Super League and FA Cup schedule.
The inaugural tournament is set to take place in the US in January 2028, meaning Arsenal and either Chelsea or Manchester City would be forced to miss four weeks of the WSL season and also the fourth round of the FA Cup.
FIFA have yet to confirm if the competition will take place, with the WSL electing not to comment on the matter until the final plans are presented.
It would not be the first time players are forced to miss club games for an external competition, with the Matildas missing key club fixtures due to their involvement in the Asian Cup earlier this year.
If the women’s Club World Cup is to take place as it is proposed to, pressure will mount on Gianni Infantino to explain why he is adding to the congested schedule.
Then again, Infantino does not control how many club tournaments are run in the UK or Europe as they are organised and operated by UEFA.
Still, Infantino has increased the length of the international break and also expanded the number of teams in international tournaments, meaning players are operating under large exhaustion levels and are at a higher risk of injury.
Infantino has gone unopposed at the last two presidential elections, but come March, decisions relating to the congested schedule and also his failed private investment scheme could see him lose out on his job for a third term.
Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramon Vega has put his name forward to challenge for FIFA’s top job, with others set to join the race soon before March.
Norwegian football federation boss Lise Klaveness, who has publicly challenged Infantino and questioned his choices, in a favourite to run for the presidency.
Vegas, who considered running for FIFA’s top job in 2015 when Sepp Blatter was suspended, says he feels prepared “to serve the game” that belongs to the people.
“Football does not belong to presidents, confederations or administrators. Football is greater than any position, any individual or any institution,” he said.
“It is the people’s game and belongs to everyone ... football must always come first. Yet for too long, division has fractured our football family.
“The current leadership has demoralised the game. Weak governance has damaged Fifa’s credibility and eroded trust across the global football family. We must stop this conflict from escalating.
“Football is in the emergency room, on life support. We cannot wait any longer. Fifa needs a new direction and fundamental reform.”
