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Fixture congestion has been reportedly raised as a concern by players across many sports these days. In the ongoing Test series of England versus India, there have been reports of players not able to perform to their capacity and even marred by injuries due to the fixture congestion caused by the schedule of the matches. In football, the concern of a packed international calendar has put many tournaments in a spot of bother as well. While some like France’s Ligue 1 opted for a 18-teams contest, others are adamant on their original structure, including the Premier League.
In such an instance, Premier League’s chief executive Richard Masters has clarified that the tournament will maintain its 20-club format and will not reduce to 18 teams, despite reported concerns of fixture congestion and escalating tensions with FIFA. The announcement comes as the 2025-26 Premier League season prepares to kick off on August 15, just weeks after the conclusion of FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup, highlighting the strain on players and domestic competitions.
Masters firmly rejected the idea stating, “I don’t think we should be forced into that decision. I am all for the growth of the game and the exciting competitions our clubs can participate in but not at the expense of domestic football.”
Many domestic football competitions have undergone significant changes citing congested calendar
The Premier League’s stance is set against a backdrop of mounting friction with FIFA, particularly over the expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup, which ran from June 15 to July 13, 2025, in the United States. The tournament, culminating in Chelsea’s victory over Paris Saint-Germain, left clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City with just three weeks for pre-season preparation before the new campaign. Master pointed out that the Premier League has maintained its 20-teams structure and 380-game format since 1994, and there’s no reason to change it now. He also expressed his optimism about the Premier League’s competitiveness and global appeal.
The congested calendar has already forced significant changes across many domestic competitions. The Football Association scrapped FA Cup replays from the first round, and the Carabao Cup’s third round is now spread across two midweeks in September to accommodate UEFA’s expanded competitions. Masters noted that the Premier League’s 380-match season remains unchanged, but the “butterfly impact” of decisions by global governing bodies is reshaping domestic schedules.
Reports claim that Chelsea and Manchester City’s requests for a delayed start to the 2025-26 season were denied, meaning Chelsea will face Crystal Palace just five weeks after their Club World Cup triumph.
