La Liga President Javier Tebas issued a warning that footballers are reaching their 'critical limit' due to the constantly increasing number of matches in the global calendar, emphasizing the associated injury risks.
During the performance and health summit held in London with joint support from the global player union FIFPRO, the Spanish official stated that it is crucial for regulatory bodies such as FIFA and UEFA to take decisive action.
Tebas pointed to the expansion of the Club World Cup, which will take place for the first time in 2025, and the debut of the 48-team World Cup in North America this year, as events that have exacerbated the already high workload.
He noted: 'Some players can still cope to some extent, but ultimately there is an insurmountable critical limit,' Tebas said on Tuesday. He added that if the situation does not change, 'the entire system will become much worse because it is impossible.'
Tebas criticized the trend of increasing workload, stating: 'Now they have announced a World Cup with more national teams, they have announced a Club World Cup with more clubs, more summer months spent playing. Thus, instead of reducing the load, we are increasing it.' He warned that if the problem is not solved, football will suffer, and statements from the international football network will be merely 'convenient talk in a closed circle' if some do not want to participate.
The official insisted that regulatory bodies must do more than just consult with stakeholders. 'I have experience with consultations,' he added. 'They accept you, they listen to you, you complain, and then they do whatever they want. This model must change.'
Maheta Molango, CEO of the Professional Football Association representing players in English professional leagues, told reporters that recent withdrawals during the international window demonstrated the depth of the problem. Among five players who were dropped from the England squad before the Nations League matches in September and October were Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford, and Declan Rice.
Molango expressed concern, saying: 'When we see five players in England who need to be removed from the call-up list, which is frankly the proudest moment in a player's career—being called up to the national team—you just ask yourself what is wrong with the industry.'
He noted that Chelsea forward Palmer became a 'victim of the calendar' after participating in several international tournaments in recent years, although he was not selected for the 2026 World Cup. Molango stated that this 'should raise immediate alarm.'
He called attention to examples such as Kai Havertz, Bryan Robson, and Kylian Mbappé (all of whom sustained injuries last week), asking: 'Is this really the football we want?'
Player unions and leagues filed a complaint with the European Commission regarding FIFA imposing an international match calendar in 2024. Molango, a former professional player, reported: 'We decided to sue FIFA. It wasn't because we had a personal problem with FIFA. We realized that they are the parents of football.' He concluded that FIFA has the power to set standards in all areas: at the level of the summer break, at the level of leagues, federations, and confederations.