PRO SOCCER FAILS SAFETY, VIOLATES LAW

Professional soccer fails to meet safety standards and violates legal frameworks.

MANCHESTER, England, Nov. 20 – Professional soccer is failing to meet required safety standards, violating legal frameworks at European and global levels, according to a report by Belgium’s KU Leuven University. Commissioned by FIFPRO, the global soccer players’ union, the study will support a joint complaint to European antitrust regulators filed by FIFPRO Europe, European Leagues, and LaLiga. The complaint accuses FIFA of decisions detrimental to player wellbeing, particularly concerning the expanded global soccer calendar.

Expanded Calendar Raises Concerns

Criticism centers on FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup, set to grow from seven to 32 teams in 2025. The schedule leaves minimal recovery time for players, intensifying fatigue and injury risks.

«Fatigue, both physical and mental, is common in professional football,» said Lode Godderis, an occupational health expert at KU Leuven. «Injury rates are significantly higher than in other industries due to relentless scheduling and varying training loads.»

Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO’s Director of Global Policy and Strategic Relations for Men’s Football. Image by FIFPRO.

FIFPRO’s Alexander Bielefeld highlighted mounting player discontent. «Players face an increasingly packed calendar, with new competition formats adding to their workload. Many are no longer willing to endure the physical and mental toll.»

Legal Standards and Player Safety

The report concludes that Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) standards, defined by European and international laws, are fully applicable to professional soccer but are often ignored. 

«Football players are workers, and employment standards must be upheld,» said Frank Hendrickx, Director of the Institute for Labour Law at KU Leuven. FIFPRO argues that match frequency, travel, and disrupted sleep schedules are rarely considered in competition planning, undermining player welfare and collective agreements.

FIFPRO logo sign.

FIFA Faces Legal Challenges

A joint complaint filed in Brussels on Oct. 14 accuses FIFA of abusing its dominance in violation of EU law. «FIFA’s actions not only neglect player safety but actively prevent compliance with health standards,» said EU competition lawyer Alfonso Lamadrid.

The evidence also supports a separate legal action by player associations in England, France, and Italy. FIFA has not yet commented on the allegations.

Main photo: FIFA logo. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann.