Chelsea risk huge fine over FIFA rule they must follow this season amid Cole Palmer decision

Chelsea and Manchester City are set to face a challenging schedule next summer as they will be required to play their top squads in the FIFA Club World Cup, while also releasing players for international duty just before the tournament.

For the first time, the will take place from June 15 to July 13 in the United States, after initially being held mid-season, sparking a legal challenge from European leagues and unions against FIFA.

They accuse football's governing body of monopolising the tournament's timing without proper consultation regarding the broader international calendar. There are concerns from leagues about the summer event's impact on their schedules have intensified, especially regarding player welfare.

For and players, as it stands, they will have a full three-week rest followed by an adequate pre-season ahead of the 2025-26 season starting in August.

These worries were compounded when the Club World Cup regulations released on Tuesday mandated that clubs must field their strongest teams "throughout the tournament", while there will also be a fine of at least £445,000 for any club that pulls out.

Last month, City boss Pep Guardiola revealed his club had requested domestic match postponements at the start of next season to cope with their participation in the Club World Cup, but the Premier League had denied this request. Insiders pointed out that such conflicts between clubs and leagues were inevitable due to FIFA's scheduling decisions.

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star, , has been omitted from their squad for the Conference League's initial phase this autumn, keeping in mind the club's packed schedule. The Club World Cup is set to kick off on June 15, but Chelsea will have to release international players like Palmer for the national team window running from June 2 to 10.

Clubs participating can refuse to release players for international duty during the competition, an exception to FIFA's usual rules. The only tournament scheduled for next summer that would typically fall under this rule is the Gold Cup, featuring teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean islands.

The Africa Cup of Nations was supposed to take place next summer but has now been moved to December 2025. Clubs can include up to 35 players in their final Club World Cup squad list, with 26 named for each match day.

There will also be a 'window' within the tournament from June 27 to July 3 during which players with expiring contracts can be replaced and up to two new summer signings can be added to the existing 35-man squad. A maximum of six changes can be made during that window.

Players are reportedly considering boycotting their media and marketing obligations to raise awareness of welfare issues related to the tournament. This move would put them in violation of the tournament regulations, which require clubs to ensure that players and staff attend all such events.

The regulations also prohibit players and officials from displaying any political, religious or personal messages or slogans in any language or form.