FIFA confirm 10-day transfer window which majorly impacts Manchester United and Man City

The new transfer window will be used to get around problems created by the Club World Cup, which will take place in the United States next summer

FIFA President Gianni Infantino

FIFA have announced plans to introduce a new transfer window next summer to address issues posed by the Club World Cup timings.

The competition will unfold in the United States from June 15 to July 13, featuring elite clubs such as Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Due to the current contract expiry date of June 30 for many players, FIFA is looking to ensure stars like Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan don't find themselves without a club mid-tournament.

To avoid such situations, and with loan deals like Jadon Sancho's move from Manchester United to Chelsea also expiring on June 30, not to mention seven Bayern Munich players' contracts ending, an "exceptional registration window" starting June 1 has been proposed. This change will enable player transfers ahead of the Club World Cup, a decision that received unanimous backing at the FIFA council on Thursday and is expected to receive support from national associations.

FIFA is introducing a second temporary six-day window starting June 27, allowing participating clubs in the Club World Cup to make changes to their squad for players with expiring contracts. This could lead to scenarios where players might end up playing for two different teams in the same season, though they cannot represent two clubs within the competition itself.

For instance, a player like Alphonso Davies could potentially move from Bayern to Real Madrid and then play against his former team in the Club World Cup just days later, reports the Mirror. Traditionally, football clubs are restricted to making transfers only during the summer and January transfer windows.

However, FIFA has made exceptions before, notably altering transfer regulations in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic disrupting the football calendar. FIFA's "objective" behind this new rule is to "encourage clubs and players whose contracts are expiring to find an appropriate solution to facilitate the players' participation".

The Club World Cup has struggled to attract broadcaster interest, leading to FIFA president Gianni Infantino calling an emergency meeting to boost the tournament's appeal. Infantino remarked: "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," and assured, "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."