It's not good for football players to play so much

The serious discussion about the importance of the workload of professional footballers began in 2021, when Pedri, then just eighteen, broke the previous record held by Bruno Fernandes, having played a staggering 73 matches in a year for both club and country, representing Barcelona and the Spanish national team. This is an almost insane statistic, which in the last three years has significantly drawn attention to the issue, leaving little room for the usual, grim considerations of those who argue that footballers, with their substantial monthly earnings, should be practically tireless superhumans. Indeed, according to the latest report from FIFPRO, the international federation of professional footballers, the intense pace imposed by the overlapping commitments between national teams and clubs risks jeopardizing the mental and physical health of athletes, effectively reducing their career longevity. The Player Workload Monitoring 2023/24 (produced in collaboration with Football Benchmark) reveals that some players have less than one day of rest per week: a figure that breaches international health and safety standards.

What does the Player Workload Monitoring 2023/24 say?

The data from the report are very precise and take examples from the last season. Last season, with a figure of 83 in call-ups and appearances, Julián Álvarez was the player with the highest playing time, a record that is not to be proud of, which may have inevitably affected his performances with Manchester City and the Argentine national team. Now transferred to Atlético Madrid and ready to dive into the new format of the Champions League, which includes at least 8 matches per team, the forward may again reach the numbers from last season. Takumi Minamino also makes the list; after playing his last match with Japan in the Asian Cup, he rested only one day before returning to the field with AS Monaco. Finally, Cristian Romero, central defender for Argentina and Tottenham, traveled approximately 162,000 kilometers during the 2023/24 season, crossing several time zones.

How do air travel impact players?

As evident from the "Romero case", the numerous air travel journeys contribute significantly to the mental and physical stress of footballers. The discussion about this mode of transportation had already started a few years ago but in relation to another issue, namely the impact of private jets and commercial airlines on climate change. The 2018 World Cup in Russia is estimated to have produced 2.16 tons of carbon dioxide, while the one in Qatar, aside from scandals about working conditions, is expected to account for over 3.5 tons, despite organizers calling it carbon-neutral. In November 2021, FIFA, UEFA, and the Premier League were among the sports organizations that signed the Action Framework for Sport and Climate of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which set the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040. It is obvious that merely thinking of replacing airplanes with other means of transport is utopian; thus, reducing travel for clubs would represent a more significant effort than it seems.

Are there too many matches being played?

Recently, the last professional footballers to voice complaints have been Aurélien Tchouaméni and Dani Carvajal. The former stated: "It’s not normal to play 80 matches a season. Those in charge must do something about it"; the latter expressed even more clearly the mood of the players: "It’s impossible to be at peak performance with more than 72 matches. I think the relevant authorities should analyze this situation because it’s practically impossible. The quality of the game suffers, and we suffer along with our families." It is no coincidence that both play for Real Madrid and are key players for their national teams. This issue primarily affects top players, who play many more annual matches compared to lower-tier players.

Timely, Stephane Burchkalter, interim Secretary General of FIFPRO, remarked: "The physical and mental health of footballers must be a priority to maintain the integrity of the game". Finally, Pep Guardiola also spoke, shedding light on how the hectic schedules worsen the quality of game preparation during a season: "Previously, pre-season lasted four or five weeks, now we have only 10 days. We want to play football and enjoy it, but it’s urgent to reduce the pace."

From early complaints to the 2024/25 season

The report shows how the gap between those who organize competitions and those who participate on the field is growing wider. For this reason, FIFPRO has commissioned an independent study to assess the implementation of rules regarding player well-being and protection. Footballers need to improve their physical and mental state, and spectators equally deserve to watch players at their best, even if this means fewer matches but with greater intensity. From David Beckham to Patrick Vieira, through Pedri, and concluding with Aurélien Tchouaméni and Dani Carvajal. This topic has traversed significant stages, true football eras, with athletes who have long highlighted an important issue; Beckham and Vieira were among the first, whose concerns were summarized in 2002 by FIFA’s chief medical officer, Jiri Dvorak. He argued the need to set a maximum limit on the number of matches a player can play in a season, considering the increasing number of non-contact injuries at the time. "There are rules for the maximum number of hours you can drive a truck, but there are no rules for footballers" - he declared to the Observer, taking a position that would later prove to be forward-thinking.

In the current season, top players risk playing as many as 86 matches due to the expansion of the FIFA Club World Cup with 32 teams, which will conclude on July 13, 2025, the new Champions League format, and recurring breaks for the Nations League. It is therefore encouraging that the relevant authorities might at least address this issue shared by most players during the ongoing season, and then consider a substantial reform starting from August 2025.