UEFA’s Perspective on the Euro 2025 and FIFA Club World Cup Clash
The scheduling clash between UEFA’s Women’s Euro 2025 and FIFA’s Men’s Club World Cup has raised concerns in the football community, but UEFA’s managing director, Nadine Kessler, has expressed that the organization is “not worried” about the overlap. The issue comes as both events, while representing two different competitions, are set to take place in the summer of 2025, potentially during the same period, though in separate locations and time zones.
A Complex Scheduling Situation
FIFA’s newly expanded men’s Club World Cup will take place in the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025. This version of the tournament will feature 32 teams, including major European clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester City. The Men’s Club World Cup has been a significant event in FIFA’s football calendar, but its timing has posed complications due to its overlap with the Women’s Euro 2025.
UEFA’s Women’s Euro 2025 is scheduled to take place in Switzerland from July 2 to July 27, 2025, which overlaps with the tail end of the men’s tournament. As a result, some of the Euro 2025 matches are expected to clash with those of the Men’s Club World Cup. Kessler acknowledged that five or six Euro 2025 matches are likely to be scheduled at the same time as some fixtures in the men’s competition, but she downplayed the significance of the clash.
UEFA’s Confidence in the Situation
Kessler’s comments highlight UEFA’s confidence that the clash will not significantly impact the visibility or success of the Women’s Euro 2025. In her view, the two tournaments will be held in different countries, with different time zones and, therefore, minimal impact on each other. “Overall, I’m not really worried,” Kessler remarked, adding that there are broadcasting agreements in place that will allow the two tournaments to coexist without significant disruption. According to Kessler, the increased frequency of men’s football tournaments has made it difficult for UEFA to secure full exclusivity for women’s competitions, but the current situation is not cause for concern.
UEFA’s Plan for Women’s Football
Kessler’s perspective reflects UEFA’s broader strategic aim of creating a professional and respected international calendar for women’s football. As she emphasized, while UEFA strives for exclusivity, it also recognizes the reality of a congested football calendar. UEFA’s plan is to continue pushing forward with the Women’s Euro 2025 as planned, regardless of the men’s Club World Cup schedule.
“We must also stick to our plan because I think it’s important we get a professional, respected international calendar in place for women’s football,” Kessler stated. This sentiment reflects UEFA’s determination to grow and develop the Women’s Euro into a premier global football event, even amid overlapping events.
FIFA’s Position on the Clashes
In response to concerns about the potential clash between the Euro 2025 and the Men’s Club World Cup, FIFA has reiterated its stance on the issue. A FIFA spokesperson explained that the international match calendar for the 2025-2030 period had been approved by the FIFA Council in 2023, a body that includes representatives from each of the six football confederations, including UEFA.
The spokesperson further emphasized that the decision to schedule the two tournaments in parallel was made after careful consideration. While acknowledging the constraints of both the men’s and women’s international match calendars, FIFA argued that this solution was the “most balanced” approach given the limitations of the football calendar.
UEFA’s Ambitious Goals for Euro 2025
Despite the scheduling challenges, UEFA is focused on making Euro 2025 a landmark event. One of its key objectives is to sell out all the matches and ensure that the tournament becomes the most-watched Women’s European Championship to date. UEFA has set a target of attracting more than 700,000 total attendees across the tournament, an ambitious goal for an event in a relatively small country like Switzerland.
Ticket sales for Euro 2025 began on October 1, 2023, and over 200,000 tickets had already been sold by that point. UEFA’s goal is to create a major spectacle, and with the increasing popularity of women’s football, this goal seems within reach. The final of Euro 2025 will be held at St Jakob Park in Basel, a stadium with a capacity of 34,050, which will host the tournament’s climactic match.
UEFA’s events chief executive, Martin Kallen, expressed excitement about the tournament’s growth and its potential impact on the future of women’s football. He noted that this may be the last opportunity for Switzerland to host the Women’s Euros due to the country’s relatively small stadiums and infrastructure. According to Kallen, “It’s already at the edge for Switzerland to be able to do this Euros. I think they waited for the right moment to ask for it.”
Kallen’s statement highlights the challenges of hosting a major international tournament in a smaller country like Switzerland, but it also reflects the growing prominence of women’s football, which has made it possible for countries like Switzerland to host such prestigious events.
Aiming for Men’s Euros Standards
UEFA has ambitious plans for Euro 2025, aiming to match or exceed the standards of the Men’s European Championship. To achieve this, UEFA plans to provide top-tier facilities for the teams and players, including cutting-edge football technology. Video assistant referee (VAR), goal-line technology, and semi-automated offside technology will all be incorporated into the tournament to ensure that it meets the highest standards of modern football.
Additionally, UEFA is committed to ensuring that all of the tournament’s venues provide similar playing conditions for all teams. This includes addressing the issue of artificial pitches, which will be overlaid with natural grass for the duration of Euro 2025. The artificial pitches in Bern and Thun, two key venues for the tournament, will be updated with natural grass in June 2025 to provide the same high-quality surface for all matches.
The Full Euro 2025 Schedule
The match schedule for Euro 2025 has been confirmed, with the group stage set to begin on July 2, 2025, and conclude on July 13, 2025. The knockout rounds will follow, with the quarter-finals scheduled for July 16-19, the semi-finals on July 22-23, and the final taking place on July 27, 2025. This tight schedule will keep teams, players, and fans on edge as they compete for the prestigious European title.
In December 2023, the tournament’s draw will take place, determining the group-stage opponents for the 16 teams that will compete in the tournament. Defending champions England will find out their group-stage opponents alongside tournament debutants Wales, who will be making their first appearance in a Women’s Euro.
Conclusion: Navigating the Scheduling Clash
Despite the looming clash between UEFA’s Women’s Euro 2025 and FIFA’s Men’s Club World Cup, both organizations appear confident that the events will be able to coexist without major disruption. UEFA’s plans for Euro 2025 demonstrate its commitment to growing the women’s game and establishing the Women’s Euro as a leading international football competition.
While the overlap in timing between the two tournaments could create challenges in terms of broadcasting and fan attention, both UEFA and FIFA seem committed to making the most of their respective tournaments. UEFA’s goal for Euro 2025 is clear: to create an unforgettable footballing experience for fans, players, and teams, ensuring that the event continues to build on the successes of previous Women’s Euros. With growing interest in women’s football worldwide, Euro 2025 promises to be a landmark event, setting a new standard for women’s international competitions.
