All three European club competitions have been expanded to 36 teams this season. In that context, the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO) has started legal action against FIFA over the expansion of the FIFA Club World Cup to 32 teams, starting next June in the United States.
Kevin De Bruyne responded when asked about concerns about changes to both club and international competitions: "The real problem will come after the FIFA Club World Cup. We know there are only three weeks between the FIFA Club World Cup final and the first game of the Premier League.
So we have three weeks to rest and prepare for the next 80 games," the 32-year-old midfielder said after Belgium's 3-1 win over Israel in the Nations League.
In July, FIFPRO said it was filing a complaint with the EU's antitrust regulator over FIFA's international match calendar.
A report published by FIFPRO said that some players only have 12% of their time off during the year, a result of tournament organizers not prioritizing player welfare .
"Maybe this year things will be fine, but next year there might be problems. The Professional Footballers' Association and other players' associations have been trying to find solutions.
The problem is that UEFA and FIFA keep adding extra matches, and we can raise concerns but still not find a solution. It seems that money is more convincing than the voice of the players" - De Bruyne added.
There is no clear evidence of an increase in players' workload since the 2000s, according to a report by the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES).
The independent Swiss research centre, founded in 1995 through a joint venture that included FIFA, reported that reigning FIFA Club World Cup champions Man City played nearly 63% of official matches in domestic competitions last season .
Friendlies make up 4.8% of Man City's total fixtures, while FIFA-organised matches make up 3.2% and UEFA matches make up 17.7%.
