FIFPro Criticizes Infantino Over Player Welfare During Club World Cup US

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has faced intense criticism from FIFPro, the world players' union, over the organization and conditions of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup held in the United States. While Infantino declared the tournament a success and a new golden era of club football, players and their representatives condemned the scheduling in extreme heat and the lack of adequate rest, highlighting serious player welfare concerns. FIFPro accused FIFA of prioritizing profits over player health, likening the event's spectacle to Nero’s 'bread and circuses' and warning against repeating such conditions at the upcoming 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico. FIFPro president Sergio Marchi called out Infantino for acting without dialogue or sensitivity, branding him as “the man who thinks he’s God” and lamenting that players were excluded from key discussions on health. The player union demands that FIFA adopt inclusive policies that respect player integrity and place footballers at the center of the sport’s future decisions. The controversy underscores a growing divide between football’s governing bodies and those who play the game, with urgent calls for reform ahead of next year’s World Cup.