FIFA has agreed on interim transfer rules designed to assist players in changing teams ahead of the Club World Cup, set to take place in the United States in June and July next year.
The decision, made on Thursday, allows players whose contracts expire on June 30 to sign early as free agents with any of the 32 teams qualified for the tournament. These include top clubs such as Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain.
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Among the potential free agents who could be targeted by Club World Cup teams are Liverpool stars Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Virgil van Dijk, as well as Lille forward Jonathan David and Tottenham captain Son Heung-Min.
FIFA’s council has approved special transfer market rules that give member federations the option to open a temporary transfer window from June 1-10. If agreements are reached between clubs, the new regulations would allow players to represent a new team for two weeks starting in mid-June, even before their current contracts formally expire, as the Club World Cup will still be considered part of the current season.
Had the tournament been scheduled for this year, the situation of Kylian Mbappé—whose free agency is set for June 30-would have posed challenges regarding whether he would represent Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid in the U.S.
FIFA’s aim with these temporary rules is to facilitate player participation in the Club World Cup, with the possibility of players signing a two-week contract extension to cover the duration of the tournament, which runs from June 15 to July 13.
