Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters has expressed concerns that the football calendar is “reaching a tipping point” due to the increasing number of matches teams are required to play.
With the expansion of the Champions League and Club World Cup on the horizon, some clubs could face a significant rise in the number of matches in the 2024-25 season.
In response to the growing number of games, the Football Association has eliminated FA Cup replays starting from the first round.
“It stands to reason if you overload the calendar and the players, at some point, something has to give,” said Masters.
“It is getting to a tipping point. The feedback we have from players is that there is too much football being played and there is constant expansion.”
Next season, the Champions League will grow to include 36 teams, and the traditional group stage will be replaced with a league format, which means teams will play two additional matches.
The Club World Cup, which currently takes place annually with seven teams from six confederations, is set to expand to a 32-team tournament held every four years.
Chelsea and Manchester City are set to participate in the Club World Cup, scheduled to take place from June 15 to July 13, 2025, in the United States.
Masters, who was appointed to his Premier League post in 2019, warned: “If you pour more liquid into a cup that is already full, it will overflow.”