Carragher slams Club World Cup as players are ‘treated like cattle’ while Ferdinand accuses football chiefs of ignoring concerns

Jamie Carragher has slammed the new FIFA Club World Cup, which is set to further extend the footballing calendar when it debuts next summer. 

The tournament, which will include teams such as Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester City, will run for the first time from June 15 to July 13 in 2025 and will be marketed as the best of the best slugging it out across the United States.

According to Paris Saint-Germain chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who is also chairman of the European Club Association, the new-and-expanded version of the tournament will become one of the biggest competitions on the planet.

However, a trickle of dissent in recent seasons has become a deluge of late as the creation of the new tournament has coincided with an expanded Champions League, while a 48-team World Cup will be played for the first time in 2026. 

Manchester City midfielder Rodri claimed that players are getting close to striking and Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson criticised the revamped European Cup. Former Reds defender Jamie Carragher added his voice to the critics and warned that players are being treated like cattle. 

‘Football for a long time now has been the domestic league, European competition and we all know there’s an international tournament every two years,’ he said on CBS Sports. ‘And I think most people are okay with that. 

‘The problem I’ve got is when you start creating new competitions that are just for money. 

‘This FIFA [Club] World Cup at the end of this season, it’s supposed to be the best club teams in the world getting together to create a tournament. Nobody wants to play in it. 

‘No one is excited about it. There’s no way you can have that tournament there and say to the top players in world football, you’re only having one summer [off] every four years. 

‘That is not possible. The best players in the world are getting treated like cattle. But also the clubs that they’re playing for are allowing this to happen. 

‘For them it’s another money-spinning competition. The only way it can be stopped is people as big as Rodri and other big players getting together and saying “this is enough”. 

‘Forget all this nonsense about how much money they earn. As Thierry [Henry] said, you want to see the best players at their best in the biggest moments. And we’re not seeing that because they’re getting run into the ground.’ 

Pep Guardiola’s side kicked off their Champions League campaign against Inter on Wednesday night and could end up competing in 73 matches during a season that is not likely to finish until July given their participation in the new Club World Cup.

Speaking ahead of the game, Rodri said: ‘I think we are close to that [striking]. It’s easy to understand [why]. Ask any player and they’d say the same. If it keeps going this way it’ll come to a moment where we have no other option. It is something that worries us.’

The PFA are working on legal action against FIFA due to an ‘overloaded and unworkable’ schedule.

Former Premier League defenders Rio Ferdinand and Joleon Lescott also stood in solidarity with today’s players 

‘I stand with the players, I always will do. I don’t think it is as close as what he is projecting regarding a strike.’ Lescott said on TNT Sports. ‘I think players play for different reasons and I don’t buy into the money aspect. They are paid well, but they can’t be treated like workhorses.’

Ferdinand added: ‘You have to consider the quality too. There’s inevitably going to be a breaking point with the amount of games.

‘We’re seeing a difference in injuries and other things. The most games I played was 62, Rodri played 64. Not a massive difference. I did that’s for one season and then it dropped off but these guys.

‘This ecosystem. I don’t think the players’ voice are heard and are allowed to be loud enough when they are the ones on the pitch.’