Overview

• Richard Masters told BBC Sport that the Premier League will remain at 20 clubs and will not reduce to an 18-team format.
• He said he supports the expansion of international tournaments but warned such growth must not undermine domestic football.
• The league denied Chelsea and Manchester City’s requests to delay their 2025–26 season starts following the Club World Cup to ensure equal treatment of all clubs.
• Masters’s comments follow a prolonged dispute between FIFA and players’ union FIFPRO over the congested match calendar and its impact on player welfare.
• By contrast, France’s Ligue 1 reduced its top division to 18 teams in 2023/24 to ease fixture loads, illustrating divergent responses to scheduling pressures across Europe.