The International Football Federation (FIFA) has proposed to national football associations the establishment of a third transfer window, lasting ten days before the Club World Cup set to take place at the end of the season in the United States, the organization announced on Thursday.
“In June 2025, member associations with clubs participating in the FIFA Club World Cup will have the option to open an exceptional registration period from June 1 to June 10 for all their affiliated clubs before the competition begins,” the organization stated in a press release.
“The decision to initiate this additional window is entirely at the discretion of the respective FIFA member associations,” it added.
This new transfer window, in addition to the existing winter and summer windows, would allow clubs participating in the World Cup to strengthen their rosters ahead of the tournament, which will be held from June 15 to July 13.
Given that many player contracts expire on June 30, the FIFA Council has introduced flexibility permitting players whose contracts end during the Club World Cup to choose to compete under either their old or new teams, thereby accommodating or bypassing the usual transfer date.
Furthermore, the governing body of football has addressed potential scheduling conflicts between the new format of the Club World Cup and international matches.
The Gold Cup, featuring teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, is indeed scheduled for the same dates as the Club World Cup.
In this scenario, international players whose clubs qualify for the Club World Cup will have the freedom to decide which competition they wish to participate in, without the obligation to respond to their national team’s call-up.
