Every fan around the world loves to watch their team play, so why not make them play every other day? Though for fans this sounds like an ideal situation, it has become an untenable reality for FIFA men’s soccer players this season.
For years, teams played 40 to 50 matches per season depending on how far they advanced in tournaments. But this year brought change to the format of the UEFA Champions League, abandoning the group stage system for a 36-team league system where each club played eight matches, four at home and four away, instead of six. While that may not seem like a dramatic increase, it can add up to around 80 games for players when factoring in international breaks.
“Between 40 and 50 is the amount of games in which a player can perform at the highest level,” Manchester City star Rodri told the media last week after a 0-0 tie in the Champions League against Inter Milan at home. “This year we are maybe going to go until 70 or maybe 80. In my humble opinion, I think it is too much.”
Soccer players are used to being challenged physically, but at the end of the day, they are human beings who are now overworked. The athletes’ problems with the schedule do not stop at simply being overplayed. There are other factors to consider, such as jet lag and travel time, that can contribute to additional fatigue.
Since 2021, we have seen an increase in medical incidents on the field. According to a study published in The American Journal of Medicine, a total of 35 male athletes have collapsed on the field since 2002, with 63% of the incidents taking place in the span of the last six years.
It is no surprise that players have decided to take it amongst themselves and spread awareness about the ridiculous expectations put on them through media interviews and social media.
Since Rodri’s interview, high caliber players such as Thibaut Courtois, Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, and Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid have all taken part in spreading awareness. This advocacy is in addition to Premier League stars such as John McGinn and Alisson Becker speaking out against the schedule..
“If something is going to change, always it must come from the players,” Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola told the media this week.
But is it easier said than done? How can the calendar be modified? To me, this is an easy one: get rid of international breaks.
How is it fair for players to go play a useless friendly match out in Bulgaria when international tournaments happen every four years? These players are always in peak fitness ahead of summer tournaments. There is absolutely no need for players to play during the year.
I have spent my whole life watching soccer and the Nations League tournament still makes no sense to me; what is the actual point of that competition? UEFA and FIFA make so much money from club tournaments and summer international soccer that it would make more sense if they scrapped the international tournaments during the year and put more time and money into making club soccer entertaining and accommodating to players.
It makes sense to remove international breaks from the club calendar and before summer tournaments; national coaches should have their players training with them two weeks before the first game of the tournament. That way, the players would still be fully fit and not burnt out, and the national teams would be given time to implement their tactics and see how they work in training.
It might seem too difficult to implement these changes right away, but it is time to consider the mental and physical health of these athletes. As fans, we would love to watch our team play everyday, but we understand that the athletes are humans who need breaks. The beautiful game will not be so beautiful if our athletes pick up serious injuries or have health complications on the field. Keep soccer beautiful, not overwhelming.
