FA warns fixture pile-up could devalue cup competitions and hurt national teams

Fixture congestion risks harming England’s future World Cup chances and devaluing the FA Cup, the Football Association has warned.

The expansion of UEFA club competitions and the introduction of a 32-team Club World Cup has placed further demands on elite players.

The FA has already scrapped cup replays in a bid to alleviate the packed schedule, but admits there is a risk of domestic competitions being further devalued by the addition of extra international club tournaments.

“A significant challenge each season is to balance the development of the global competition calendar with the imperative of protecting player welfare,” the FA stated in its 2024-25 annual report, published on Thursday.

“This task is complicated by the ambitions of competition owners to expand their events within an already crowded schedule.

“The ongoing discussions regarding future structural changes to the game, such as the introduction of new tournaments (eg FIFA Club World Cup), further intensify this challenge.

“These changes have the potential to significantly reduce the downtime available to elite players, affecting their recovery and overall well-being.

“Additionally, the introduction of more global competitions risks devaluing traditional domestic tournaments, such as the FA Cup, and may affect the performance of our national teams due to increased player fatigue and reduced time for international squad training. These factors could have financial implications for us.”

The FA said it would “remain vigilant in monitoring these proposed changes” and was “committed to engaging with all football stakeholders to advocate for solutions that safeguard the interests of the players and the integrity of the sport”.

Unlike the Premier League, which has also criticised FIFA over what it sees as a failure to consult over calendar changes, the FA does have a direct influence at UEFA and FIFA level, as a member association with voting rights.

Sources have previously indicated frustration at what they see as a failure by the FA to use that influence for the good of the English domestic game.

There are fears among domestic league sources that FIFA, with the support of the European Football Clubs group, could move to play the Club World Cup every two years, instead of every four.

The FA’s annual report cites the anticipated reduction in income from international FA Cup broadcast rights as the “largest driver” behind a £44million drop in operating profits compared to the previous year.

The FA said it had made just under £100m, up by more than £20m from 2024, through the staging of events at Wembley, including a five-night stint by Taylor Swift and the first three nights of Oasis’ Live 25 reunion tour that fell within the reporting period.

The report also revealed chief executive Mark Bullingham had been paid £887,000 in 2025, compared to £1.32m in 2024.

The FA reported that the 2024 payment had included a £450,000 award under a 2022-24 Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) and a final payment of £60,000 from a legacy bonus scheme.