Mamelodi Sundowns stars whose contracts are expiring have received word from FIFA ahead of the Club World Cup which is will be held post the 2024/25 season.
With the FIFA Club World Cup taking place after 30 June, a normal cut off date for professional contracts after the season has concluded, there has been fears on how clubs would deal with the contractual issue.
The expanded 32-team tournament will take place from 14 June to 15 July in the United States of America.
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Masandawana finally found out their opponents in a draw held in early December, after they were drawn against Borussia Dortmund, Fluminense and Ulsan HD in Group F.
KickOff has reported that Sundowns have at least ten players whose contracts are lapsing at the end of June next year.
Such Masandawana players include Themba Zwane, who is currently injured, Khuliso Mudau, Sphelele Mkhulise and Rivaldo Coetzee, among others.
There is now a sense of relief from the players' point of view, after FIFA announced a dispensation that would allow teams participating at the global tournament to conclude short term deals with such players until the end of the tournament in mid July.
However, the world governing body has placed the onus on teams to decide whether they want to keep players whose contracts expire on 30 June and if that is the case, they can offer such players a short-term contract.
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However, it is up to clubs if they would want to part ways with any players whose contracts come to an end 14 days prior to the Club World Cup.
Masandawana are not alone in this contractual headache, as other global superstars such as Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, Ferland Mendy and Luka Modric of Real Madrid, Leroy Sane at Bayern Munich and Neymar at Al Hilal have contracts running out at the end of June 2025, although the Saudi Arabia outfit have a one-year option they can trigger on the Brazilian's contract.
South Africans Percy Tau at Ahly and Cassius Mailula at Wydad Casablanca also have expiring contracts at the end of June 2025, although The Red Castle have an option to buy Mailula permanently from Toronto.