Players are ready to strike over the growing demands on their workload, the global players' union Fifpro has warned. David Terrier, Fifpro's Europe president, said there was 'an emergency' around the mental and physical fatigue of players, with more than 50% of respondents in a player survey saying they had been forced to play while carrying an injury.
Speaking at a Fifpro event in London, Terrier criticised Fifa for not listening to players and for making 'unilateral decisions' that affect the entire ecosystem. 'If Fifa doesn't listen we will take things into our own hands, we won't exclude any kind of possibility whatsoever,' he said, suggesting strike action could be considered.
The Premier League chief executive Richard Masters also hit out at Fifa, saying: 'The problem is real. We feel enough is enough – it is a shame we have got here.' La Liga chief Javier Tebas went further, claiming Fifa had ignored letters from leagues and that 'we need to resort to legal action'.
Fifpro highlighted the example of Jude Bellingham, who has played over 18,000 minutes of football by the age of 20, compared with David Beckham's 3,929 and Wayne Rooney's 15,481 at the same age. The union warned of specific risks for young players whose bodies are still developing.
Fifa has been contacted for comment. Its president Gianni Infantino previously stated that Fifa organises only about 1% of top clubs' games, with the rest organised by leagues and confederations.
