FIFA proposes early transfer window for Club World Cup teams including Manchester City, Chelsea

Next summer’s transfer window could open two weeks earlier than usual to allow teams competing in the revamped Club World Cup to sign new players, FIFA has announced.

A FIFA Council meeting on Thursday unanimously approved a proposal to give national associations the option of an “exceptional registration window” from June 1 to June 10, which would close five days before the start of tournament in the United States.

World football’s governing body said it took the measure to “address technicalities and equalise inconsistencies created by differences in registration periods and domestic-season timings” for the 32 competing teams.

If the English Football Association (FA) was to take up this option, the Premier League’s two Club World Cup entrants, Chelsea and Manchester City, would, in theory, be able to strengthen their squads for a tournament that is, strictly speaking, still a part of the current season.

The Athletic has contacted the FA for comment.

If the option was taken up across Europe, the likes of Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid would also be able to make early signings, which could be tempting in a summer when there are some huge names potentially out of contract. For example, Liverpool trio Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, and Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-Min could all be looking for new challenges.

And, in another tweak to usual rules, FIFA will let teams replace any players whose contracts expire during the Club World Cup by opening a “restricted in-competition” window from 27 June to 3 July.

This is meant to address the situation that Manchester City may face with Kevin De Bruyne, or Bayern with Alphonso Davies or Joshua Kimmich, all of whom have contracts that currently expire at the end of June, halfway through the tournament.

However, what is more likely, should any of those players, or players in a similar position, not sign new deals between now and June, is that they will agree to two-week extensions to cover the tournament’s duration.

“The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will kick off a new era for club football across the world, with the top teams competing to be crowned the official FIFA club world champions,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

“These regulations will ensure that the best possible conditions are in place in order for all 32 participating clubs and the best players in the world to shine at the highest level.”

In recent seasons, the summer transfer window in Europe has opened in mid-June but FIFA did amend the rules in the summer of 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic extended the extended season into August.

FIFA this week confirmed the 12 stadiums that will stage the inaugural Club World Cup.

2025 Club World Cup stadiums: Full list

• MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.)*
• Meredes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
• Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte)
• TQL Stadium (Cincinnati)
• Rose Bowl Stadium (Los Angeles)
• Hard Rock Stadium (Miami)
• GEODIS Park (Nashville)
• Camping World Stadium (Orlando)
• Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando)
• Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
• Lumen Field (Seattle)
• Audi Field (Washington, D.C.)

*denotes 2026 World Cup final venue

(Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)