Two-Speed Scheduling Creating Burnout And Underload Issues
A new report by global players’ union FIFPRO has exposed a growing workload imbalance in women’s professional football, where top-tier players face exhausting schedules while many others lack sufficient match exposure. The findings show that elite players are being pushed to burnout with congested club and international fixtures, while a large portion of players compete in too few matches to maintain development and fitness.
Elite Overload: Congested Calendars And Injury Risks
The report highlights that top performers, such as Barcelona and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati, played up to 60 matches in the 2024-25 season, often with minimal recovery time between games. These intense workloads have contributed to injury concerns, including Bonmati’s fractured fibula and extended layoff. FIFPRO warned that even elite players lack support systems comparable to those in men’s football, such as charter travel and personalized recovery resources.
Underload: Too Few Games For Majority Of Players
At the other end of the spectrum, many players in domestic leagues are participating in limited fixtures, averaging only around 13-14 matches per season in top divisions like Germany and France. This “underload” leaves players at risk of injury due to insufficient competitive play and hinders their development and opportunities for national team selection. The discrepancy is especially stark between stronger and weaker clubs within the same leagues.
Calls For Systemic Change And Investment
FIFPRO has urged football authorities and league organizers to address the imbalance by expanding domestic calendars, creating more competitions, and bolstering player welfare systems. The union emphasizes that both excessive and inadequate workloads are detrimental to the long-term growth and sustainability of the women’s game.
Broader Professional Challenges Persist
The workload report adds to other concerns in women’s football, including financial instability and contract insecurity. A separate FIFPRO study found that most women’s national team players earn less than $20,000 annually, with many on short contracts or working secondary jobs to make ends meet, further underscoring systemic issues in the sport.
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