FIFA 'agrees to third transfer window' in biggest shake-up of transfers in years

A new transfer window will be opened from June 1 to 10 next year, according to reports, as FIFA attempt to help teams prepare for the 2025 Club World Cup.

Next year, the United States will host the revamped FIFA Club World Cup – a competition featuring 32 teams from each of the six continental confederations; AFC, CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, OFC and UEFA.

So far, 30 of the 32 participants have been confirmed, including previous Champions League winners Real Madrid, Manchester City and Chelsea.

In short, the Club World Cup will bring together the most successful club sides from the past four seasons, with a total of 63 matches being played between June 15 to July 13.

Last week, the 12 stadiums that will host the Club World Cup 2025 were announced, including the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino is certainly excited by the prospect of a new-look tournament. "Thirty-two of the best clubs from all corners of the world will be competing in the United States in June and July 2025," he said.

"They are at the heart of the tournament. And we cannot wait. Thirty-two of the best clubs globally will meet on the world stage and only one will be crowned world champions."

The current format allows the Champions League winner to automatically qualify for the tournament, with the remainder of the teams being made up of the winners from other football federations such as CONCACAF and CONMEBOL.

But to the dismay of some high-profile names like Pep Guardiola and Erling Haaland, who have raised concerns over the demands being placed on players, the format is about to change.

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In fact, FIFA are preparing for next year's competition by introducing a new transfer window for clubs participating in the tournament in a bid to 'encourage the movement of footballers for the 2025 Club World Cup'.

That's according to a new report from Spanish publication Marca, who suggest the change is also to provide legal coverage for the extension of contracts that end in the middle of the Club World Cup.

With these measures, FIFA aims to 'make it easier for teams to sign players' and to give clubs 'the appropriate legal framework to strengthen themselves for the competition'.