Top footballers feel unable to speak out despite FIFA ignoring their "basic needs," according to the world players' union, Fifpro.
Alex Phillips, the general secretary of Fifpro, which represents 66,000 male and female players worldwide, believes players are concerned about potential backlash from clubs and governing bodies.
Players have expressed concerns to Fifpro about their lack of rest due to the number of games they play, particularly with this season's expanded Club World Cup.
Chelsea's final game of the season was their victory in the Club World Cup final on 13 July, just 35 days before their Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace commenced.
"Players are wary of speaking up because they don't have the power," said Phillips. "Individually, they might have wealth, the top 1%, but 99% of players lack power beyond their union or association."
Phillips further noted, "Before the Club World Cup, I spoke with some top stars who said they hadn't had a rest for 'X' amount of time. One mentioned they only get a rest when injured. Others were resigned and cynical about speaking up."
He added, "Then you see some of the same players two weeks later recording social media videos saying 'we think the Club World Cup is so great' because their employers instruct them to do so as part of their job."
Fifpro also believes that FIFA, under president Gianni Infantino, has adopted an "autocratic" approach to running the sport and is "turning a blind eye" to players' needs.
"FIFA continues to systematically ignore and silence the real issues players face globally," Fifpro stated following a meeting of 58 player unions in Amsterdam on Friday.
"It is unacceptable for an organization claiming global leadership to ignore the basic needs of players."
"One clear example of this disconnect was the recent Club World Cup, celebrated by president Infantino despite being held under extreme and inappropriate conditions, demonstrating a troubling insensitivity to human rights, even when it concerns elite athletes."
The player unions of Spain, Mexico, Switzerland, and Kyrgyzstan were not invited to the meeting in the Netherlands, having attended FIFA's summit in New York earlier this month.
FIFA held that meeting on the eve of the Club World Cup final, stating it had "addressed key issues concerning player health," including "critical matters related to the international match calendar."
Fifpro, which filed a legal complaint against FIFA with the European Commission last year, was not invited.
Phillips commented, "Pretty much everyone interpreted this meeting and photo [of the attendees] as an attack on Fifpro. It's clearly understood as an effort to create a problem within Fifpro."