FIFPRO, the Global Footballers Union, has requested the introduction of 12 safeguards for the well -being of the players, including a mandatory four -week break, after a scientific study that involves 70 doctors and performance experts before the FIFA Club World Cup, which begins in the United States on Sunday.
According to FIFPRO, Delphi's study, which uses a systematic approach to analyze independent opinions, represents the most extensive expert consensus to date on safeguards against the excessive workload in professional football, with more than 75% agree between the participants to establish each recommendation.
And among the recommendations, the study has required a complete season out of season, compulsory half -season breaks, a minimum rehabilitation period of four weeks after out -of -season breaks and specific workload limits for academy players under 18 years.
The study has been published before the Club World Cup, which will run until the final in New Jersey on July 13, leaving many high-profile players facing reduced summer vacations and preparation time for the 2025-26 season, which will culminate with a 48 team FIFA World Cup in the United States in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
“This study presents security standards based on the opinions considered and independent of doctors and performance experts who work in professional football that understand the mental and physical tension imposed on players,” said Professor Dr. Vincent Gouttebarge, medical director of FIFPRO. “If we can all agree that health is first, then we must take measures to implement these safeguards.”
FIFPRO unions and players in England and France filed a lawsuit against FIFA, the governing body of football, with the European Union in June 2024 claiming that it had abused its dominant position and violated European competition by expanding its fixing calendar with the expansion of the FIFA World Cup and the introduction of the Club World Cup.
Demand is ongoing. But with the main players who face the greatest workloads for the club and the country, FIFPRO wants “minimum standards” established to protect its members.
“The decoding of the human body, the performance and the injuries related to the sport will be a scientific exercise for life for all of us,” said Dr. Darren Burgess, president of the FIFPRO High Performance Advisory Network.
“However, the results of this study show that there are certain minimum standards, such as adequate break between games, and adequate breaks out of season, which are common sense, aligned with scientific evidence and, above all, required by world standards of occupational health and safety.”
73% of the experts who participated in the Delphi study used by football clubs, with 27% working for national teams. The majority of the group has worked in professional male football for more than a decade, and some have more than 20 years of experience.
