World Cup caused dangerous levels of fixture congestion, says FIFPRO

ISTANBUL : Nearly half the players competing at last year's World Cup experienced extreme or increased mental fatigue during an unprecedented season of fixture congestion, according to international players' union FIFPRO.

Domestic leagues paused in November for the first mid-season World Cup, with players denied preparation time for the Qatar showpiece and many returning immediately to club competition.

FIFPRO's Player Workload Monitoring (PWM) platform, using data from 1,800 professional footballers, said the intense schedule had a detrimental impact on clubs and competitions.

The report, published on Thursday, found that the pre-World Cup months and post World Cup period saw "dangerous levels of fixture congestion" which posed a pressing danger to the physical and mental health of players.

"The industry needs a far greater collective effort to establish effective player workload safeguards and a responsible calendar solution that protects player health and supports player performance," FIFPRO President David Aganzo said in the introduction to the report.

With imminent reforms to the Champions League and an expanded FIFA Club World Cup, FIFPRO says the demands on elite players will only increase over the next calendar cycle with an 11 per cent rise in match load possible in 2024-25.

The report included case studies on elite players including Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez, Manchester City's Rodri, Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr and his soon-to-be team mate Jude Bellingham.

Manchester United's France defender Raphael Varane was also used to showcase the demands on players at Europe's top clubs.

Varane played for his club eight days after the World Cup final and in February announced his retirement from international football, aged 29.

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