Chelsea and Man City players 'consider U.S. boycott' after reaching 'tipping point'

Chelsea and Manchester City's players might give the Club World Cup in the United States a miss next summer.

The two top-tier English soccer clubs are gearing up for a trip across the pond to compete in the revamped tournament at the end of the 2024/25 season. This isn't your old-school Club World Cup; it's been given a major facelift, transforming from an annual event with nine teams to a quadrennial extravaganza featuring 32 squads.

Thanks to their Champions League victories in 2021 and 2023, Chelsea and City have snagged spots in this grander version of the competition. However, whispers are swirling that stars like Cole Palmer, Erling Haaland, and Kevin De Bruyne might sit out the Club World Cup due to concerns over packed playing schedules.

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As reported by The Sun , the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) wouldn't hesitate to support a player strike in the US next summer. PFA boss Maheta Molango said: "This is not an attack on FIFA or the Club World Cup but we have reached a tipping point.

"This will be the defining season for football. The calendar doesn’t make any sense. We have been warning for a long time but this season we will have a very telling example of what is happening. Our legal case questions if there were potential breaches of the right to enjoy a holiday and if FIFA is abusing a dominant position.

"The players are conscious, across the pyramid, about the calendar. When people try to portray this as just about the elite players it’s just not true. It is massive and goes beyond that.

"Our legal case questions if there were potential breaches of the right to enjoy a holiday and if FIFA is abusing a dominant position. The players are conscious, across the pyramid, about the calendar. When people try to portray this as just about the elite players it’s just not true. It is massive and goes beyond that."

The new Club World Cup format mirrors that of the most recent international World Cup, with 32 teams divided into eight groups of four. Two teams from each group will advance to the Round of 16, followed by a traditional knockout stage.

This means that if either City or Chelsea make it all the way in the U.S., they'll have an additional seven matches added to the already packed schedule.

Qualified teams for the 2025 Club World Cup (two teams still to be decided): Chelsea (England), Manchester City (England), Real Madrid (Spain), Atletico Madrid (Spain), Bayern Munich (Germany), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Paris Saint-Germain (France), Inter Milan (Italy), Juventus (Italy), Porto (Portugal), Benfica (Portugal), Red Bull Salzburg (Austria), Palmeiras (Brazil), Flamengo (Brazil), Fluminense (Brazil), River Plate (Argentina), Boca Juniors (Argentina), Monterrey (Mexico), Leon (Mexico), Pachuca (Mexico), Seattle Sounders (United States), Al Ahly (Egypt), Wydad AC (Morocco), Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Urawa Red Diamons (Japan), Al Ain (UAE), Ulsan HD (South Korea), Auckland City (New Zealand)