Julian Alvarez was invited to 83 matches last season. Darwin Nunes, Luis Diaz and Phil Foden have played 72 games. Christian Romero travelled more than 160,000 kilometres for international matches.
Erling Haaland, on the other hand, had the summer off with no international commitments and started the season with a flurry of goals for Manchester City.
The physical and mental demands placed on top players last season were detailed Thursday by their union, which has filed several complaints against FIFA.
The International Federation of Professional Footballers’ Associations (FIFPRO) has published its match load report, which analysed 1,500 players. The aim is to provide legal evidence that without proper consultation on the expansion of international competitions, more is being asked of its members.
“This season will be the last,” said FIFPRO board member Maheta Molango of the hectic 2024-25 calendar, which will culminate in the first 32-team Club World Cup, hosted by FIFA and the United States.
FIFPRO’s online presentation of the report included representatives of the English and French football unions, who lodged a complaint against FIFA at the Brussels Commercial Court in June. An appeal was also sent to the Court of Justice of the European Union, which ruled on the Super League case last year.
Separately, FIFPRO’s European division joined national leagues in filing a complaint with the European Commission in Brussels against FIFA’s unilateral approach to expanding its competitions, including the first 48-team men’s World Cup in 2026.
“The gap between those who organise and plan full international tournaments and those who play in them has never been greater,” said FIFPRO Strategy Director Alexander Bielefeld.
FIFPRO is suing FIFA, not UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, for adding more games to both the Champions League and Europa League this season.
“Many people say to us: ‘Why don’t you attack UEFA?’” admitted David Terrier, French director of FIFPRO. “The difference is that we have spoken with UEFA. There is a determination to find a solution together. That was not the case with FIFA.”
According to FIFPRO, the new Club World Cup, held every four years, is the straw that broke the camel’s back in the expansion of the international competition.
FIFA’s oft-repeated argument that national team matches are a small part of the club’s total is a “misleading perspective”, FIFPRO said.
The latest report on game workload has shifted the focus from game numbers and minutes played to total time spent on call. This includes training for the national team, which adds more effort.
For example, according to the report, players who participated in Euro 2024 will spend 17% of their working time with national teams. It added that these players had at least 42 days of rest and recovery during the year.
The Netherlands did not make it to Euro 2024 because Norway failed to qualify. Molango noted that he was able to start the season with plenty of rest, scoring seven goals in three games for Manchester City.
“You can see the result. He’s back to the car we saw when he first arrived,” Molango said.
