Calls to address 'lopsided' growth in women's soccer

World players' union FIFPro is calling for new measures to protect athletes after its new study highlighted the effects of "disproportionate development" on women's football.

The report revealed that while some players are "overstretched by many matches", the majority have too few, while new competitions have resulted in "lopsided" growth.

FIFPro is petitioning for mandatory breaks and minimum conditions for travelling, with players like Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati making 44 international trips in just two years, crossing time zones in all of them.

"There is a two-speed development of women's football," said Dr Alex Culvin, FIFPro's director of policy and strategic relations for women's football.

"There are players who are squeezed by the calendar and the high cadence of games; this is an issue that is rightly gaining more attention.

"Yet there are a larger proportion of players who do not have enough competitive matches and are often overlooked.

"Putting players at the centre of any, and all, dialogue on the calendar and the regularity of games is key to finding solutions.

"It is important that all stakeholders recognise the depth and diversity of the issues and work together to create a more balanced calendar that, whilst continuing to accelerate growth, also creates more competitive opportunities and provides guaranteed rest periods."

Spain and Barcelona international Bonmati spent 7550 minutes in transit between mid-July 2022 and mid-July 2023 - the equivalent of nearly 84 football matches, and enough miles to have travelled around the equator nearly two-and-a-quarter times.

Bonmati's fellow World Cup winner Mariona Caldentey played in 64 games last season as a member of Champions League winners Barcelona, more than