The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) has reached an agreement with players' unions regarding mandatory breaks for football players after the season ends.
There is a consensus that there must be at least 72 hours of rest between matches, and that players should have a rest period / holiday of at least 21 days.
In the summer of 2024, the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro) and players’ unions from England and France filed a lawsuit against FIFA, claiming concerns about calendar overload. This issue stems from an increase in the number of teams participating in the World Cup – 48 teams will compete in the upcoming 2026 World Cup across Canada, the USA, and Mexico, as opposed to the previous 32. There’s also a revised format for the Club World Cup.
On July 1, Reuters reported that FIFPro proposed implementing longer 20-minute breaks between halves during the 2026 World Cup matches and increasing stoppages for player hydration. Furthermore, for the sake of athlete safety, moves to cancel or reschedule matches if temperatures exceed 28 degrees Celsius were suggested.
