FIFA says consensus reached on 72-hour rest between matches, minimum 21-day holidays

With growing concerns over the safety of professional footballers due to excessive workloads, FIFA said it has reached a consensus with players’ representatives on the need for a mandatory period of rest between matches and seasons.

The global governing body of football said the meeting that took place on the eve of the Club World Cup final between European heavyweights PSG and Chelsea decided to have a period of rest of at least 72 hours between matches and to provide players a minimum of 21 days of holidays at the end of a league season.

The timing of the Club World Cup has been heavily criticised as it began after a lengthy season in Europe. Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp recently called the revamped Club World Cup the 'worst idea ever implemented in football'. He said players will suffer injuries next season due to the lack of rest following last season.

Football bodies had expressed concern over injuries and burnout ahead of the month-long Club World Cup being held in the US. FIFA hasn’t said how it plans to implement the changes, and it has been left up to the clubs on how they want to manage individual players.

The Club World Cup began a month ago with 32 of the world's top teams, and the governing body aims to host it every four years, between the men's World Cup, European Championship and Copa America.