Fifpro Report Highlights Player Welfare Concerns in Football
Australia's goalkeeper Mathew Ryan logged over 100,000 miles in travel last season, while veteran Luka Modric played more matches than any other player globally, as revealed in a recent Fifpro report on player welfare.
The report also indicated that participants in the FIFA Club World Cup, held in June and July, did not receive adequate off-season or pre-season rest days.
The international players' union described the current situation as a "perfect storm of how not to treat a human."
This marks the fifth annual report from Fifpro, which examines the playing and travel burdens faced by athletes during the 2024-25 season.
Alex Phillips, the Secretary General of Fifpro, stated, "Last year, the Ballon d'Or winner, Rodri, suffered a significant injury and missed nearly an entire season. This year, Ousmane Dembele, another Ballon d'Or winner, is sidelined again due to a muscle injury. How long will this continue before club owners recognize the detrimental impact on their business? We are addressing player health concerns, but even club and league owners are beginning to realize that the current system is unsustainable for everyone involved."
The report examined seven key areas, including health risks associated with calendar congestion, extensive international travel, insufficient off-season breaks, and the increasing workloads of young footballers.
Among the findings, Modric, who turned 40 this summer, played more matches than anyone else during the 2024-25 season, totaling 76 appearances for Real Madrid and Croatia.
Ryan, based in Europe, traveled a staggering 169,000 km (approximately 105,000 miles) during the season while representing Australia.
Additionally, 18-year-old Lamine Yamal has already played 130 matches, a workload that far exceeds that of most of his contemporaries.
The study highlighted the significant impact of the Club World Cup on players' workloads as well.
Darren Burgess, a high-performance consultant for Fifpro, remarked, "This situation exemplifies how not to treat athletes—excessive games combined with insufficient off-season days lead to an unsustainable cycle."
BBC Sport has reviewed some of the key findings from the Fifpro report.
Excessive Match Load
Including international fixtures and friendlies, ten players participated in 69 or more matches last season, with Modric leading the list at 76 appearances.
"It is important to note that all ten players on this list participated in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, far exceeding the recommended maximum of 55 match appearances per season," the Fifpro report stated.
Four of the top ten players were from Paris Saint-Germain, with Modric and Federico Valverde from Real Madrid topping the list.
The report also noted that Uruguay's Valverde made the most 'back-to-back' appearances—58 matches within a five-day span.
Bayern Munich's Kim Min-jae experienced a grueling schedule of 20 matches in just 73 days, significantly increasing his injury risk, which unfortunately culminated in an Achilles injury.
The report highlighted that the players with the most matchday squad appearances included young talents like Tottenham's Archie Gray and Real Madrid's Arda Guler.
Gray, now 19, was a substitute in 80 matches for Tottenham and England's Under-21 team, participating in 63 of those games.
Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood, during a Fifpro video call, expressed concerns about the long-term effects of such workloads. "Experiencing one or two seasons of around 60 games is manageable, but as you enter the third, fourth, or fifth consecutive year of such a schedule, that's when significant problems may arise," he stated.
This sentiment is echoed by his Forest head coach, Ange Postecoglou, who remarked, "It's not just the volume of games; players no longer receive adequate breaks. While a workload of 50-55 games a year is manageable, players need a minimum of a month off annually, which they are currently not receiving."
Excessive Travel
Former Brighton goalkeeper Ryan recorded the highest travel distance among players globally, exceeding 100,000 miles, which amounted to over 217 hours of travel—equivalent to nine days each year.
Ryan began last season with Roma in Italy, transferred to Lens in France in January, and recently joined Levante in Spain.
Following him in travel distance was New Zealand's Marko Stamenic, who was on loan at Olympiacos and now plays for Swansea, and Ben Waine, who traveled 157,000 km (approximately 97,000 miles) while on loan at Mansfield Town.
Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana, formerly of Manchester United, completed 33 international trips across borders, crossing 69 time zones, and traveled 67,000 km for Cameroon and 60,000 km with United.
The report also highlighted the case of Chelsea's Moises Caicedo, who played a total of 360 minutes across two continents and three countries within a two-week span in October, averaging a recovery time of just 110.8 hours while traveling more than half the length of the equator.
Wood added, "Sometimes you find yourself on a plane just three hours after finishing a game, leading to 30 hours of travel. It’s not ideal for recovery after the intense physical demands of a match."
Insufficient Off-Season Breaks
The Fifpro report indicated that top European club and national team players typically receive only three weeks off between seasons. This contrasts sharply with other sports leagues, such as the NBA, which offers between 14 and 23 weeks off, depending on playoff participation.
Similarly, Australia's Australian Football League and Major League Baseball provide a minimum of 14 weeks off.
Burgess, a high-performance expert with experience at Arsenal and Liverpool, emphasized, "This disparity highlights how far football needs to progress compared to other sports. The focus in those sports has been on player performance and well-being, demonstrating that improvements can be made when the right stakeholders collaborate."
The Fifpro report advocates for a minimum of 28 days off-season and an additional 28 days for pre-season preparation. However, none of the teams participating in the Club World Cup met these recommendations, including Chelsea, who had only 20 days off following their domestic season.
In contrast, Austrian club Salzburg resumed training just eight days after their exit to prepare for Champions League qualifiers, while Tunisian side Esperance had only ten days off, and Benfica allowed 14 days before starting training for domestic super cups.
Treble winners Paris Saint-Germain had 22 days off but only allocated seven days for pre-season training.