French players’ union blasts US tournament and accuses FIFA chief Infantino of ‘massacre’
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has come under fire for the unrelenting player schedule
The players’ union in France has accused FIFA president Gianni Infantino of “flouting the physical and mental health of players for a few more dollars” as the controversy surrounding the Club World Cup rumbles on.
With player burn-out a key talking point, especially in the hot, humid conditions in which the tournament is being played in the United States, the Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionnels (UNFP) called on the “massacre” to stop.
The Club World Cup features 32 teams in Infantino’s revamped event with several players being asked to follow a rigorous schedule of winter then summer football with little breaks in between.
▶️https://t.co/hFcKCkbE7G
Le @PSG_inside jouera ce dimanche son 62e match de la saison, alors que quatre clubs de @Ligue1 ont déjà repris l’entraînement pour préparer l’exercice 2025-2026 et que trois autres les imiteront dès ce lundi…
Pour @UNFP, cette situation incongrue… pic.twitter.com/oZb8w07xTR— UNFP (@UNFP) June 29, 2025
The UNFP believes enough is enough and has demanded Infantino re-evaluate his priorities.
In a statement, it said: “The incongruity of the situation is not lost on anyone, except, of course, Gianni Infantino and his flatterers. From the height of his ivory tower, which he parades around the world, the FIFA president is not bothered by the fate that the international calendar reserves for the game’s leading players.
“His [Infantino’s] Club World Cup proves, to the point of absurdity, that it is urgent to stop this massacre game. He flouts the physical and mental health of players for a few more dollars.”
PSG players facing punishing schedule
European champions Paris Saint-Germain cruised into the Club World Cup finals at the weekend, beating Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami 4-0, as they look to build on their Champions League final hammering of Inter Milan.
In between, several players, including Ousmane Dembele, Joao Neves, Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz, took part in Nations League fixtures before heading out to the US.
PSG requested a delayed start to the Ligue 1 season, which gets underway on Friday, August 15, but that plea was rejected.
The UNFP added: “We don’t see how or why the Parisians should not benefit from the three weeks of complete rest they are entitled to.
“A delay in preparation that must also worry [France coach] Didier Deschamps ahead of two qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup. What do you say, Mr Infantino?”
This is the second successive summer of football for the likes of Dembele, who played in last year’s European Championship. He is also expected to be in the France squad for next summer’s World Cup finals in the United States.
101 Great Goals has reached out to FIFA for comment.