Premier League to be cut to 18 teams?! Clubs fear FIFA want to make changes as anger over heavy fixtures boils over to possible player strike

Tensions over the current heavy fixture list appear to be growing with clubs now fearing that top leagues could be reduced to 18 teams by FIFA in a bid to limit matches, according to The Sun. A working group has already been set up, and a source told the tabloid that 18-team leagues may be coming soon, saying: “We all think that this is the ultimate aim from Fifa, to find a way of making us drop to 18. What you can put your money on is the working group saying there is too much domestic football, that we should all go down from 20 clubs to 18 and that the least impact on players comes from international matches. We wouldn’t be shocked if they have already written their conclusions.”

There are 20 clubs competing in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A but 18 in France's Ligue 1 and the German Bundesliga. The Premier League was initially set up with plans to ultimately reduce it to 18 teams but that idea was ruled out.

Meanwhile, FIFA is facing a backlash from teams and players due to concerns of welfare and burnout. English and Spanish clubs could boycott the expanded 2025 Club World Cup over fears the schedule will place too much of a burden those competing. The governing body has also been threated with legal action by clubs concerned about the "adverse consequences" of the expanded tournament.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has given his take on the situation. He said: "If we don’t take action the industry is in danger, right now. Fifa's solution is just to create new competitions. But for that to happen and for us to be able to fit these competitions in, we would have to lose two clubs from La Liga.

"That would mean we'd have to make 70 players unemployed at those clubs and it would lose thousands of jobs related to those clubs. We need to fix the current problems before creating new competitions that will destroy the industry, clubs, jobs, the dreams of fans - and football.”

Many of the world's top players are set for another hectic summer with Euro 2024, the Copa America and the Paris Olympics all taking place before domestic leagues resume in August. The 2024-25 campaign will then see an expanded Champions League introduced featuring 36 teams, while the new Club World Cup involves 32 clubs can is due to take place from June 15 to July 13 of next year in the United States.