Premier League chief executive Richard Masters fears this year's Club World Cup could create "great difficulty" for Manchester City and Chelsea ahead of next season's English top-flight campaign. The two clubs will be England's representatives in FIFA's expanded 32-team event in the United States, with players' unions threatening legal action on welfare grounds and national leagues unhappy about the potential knock-on effects on their own competitions. The Club World Cup final is due to be played on July 13, with the 2025/26 Premier League season starting on August 16.