Football's packed schedule 'killing product', says PFA chief

The demands facing top players have steadily increased in recent years as tournaments have expanded and new competitions created, increasing revenue streams for clubs and governing bodies. The World Cup is set to expand from 32 to 48 teams for the first time in 2026, while the European Championship and Africa Cup of Nations have jumped from 16 to 24 teams in recent years.

FIFA's Club World Cup will become a 32-team event for the first time in 2025 and the group stage of UEFA's Champions League will involve eight games per team from next season, up from six. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke about his frustration with the lack of rest time this week after his side were forced to play nine times in little over a month since returning from a two-week winter break.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said Tuesday his side need a "miracle" to remain competitive for the rest of the season due to their mounting injury list. PFA chief executive Molango used the example of City's 1-0 Champions League final victory over Inter Milan last season as an example of how the increased demands on players is watering down the quality of the product.

"The Champions League final is supposed to be our Super Bowl. It wasn't because one of the best players in the world (Kevin) De Bruyne was out in the 30th minute, (Erling) Haaland was exhausted, Rodri, who is a top athlete, said after 60 minutes he had cramps. Surely that's not what we want to see," Molango told the Financial Times Business of Football Summit.

Molango said the NFL's huge media rights deal in the United States should serve as an example to football administrators that extending competitions and creating new events is not always the best way to generate wealth. The NFL enjoys the