Overview

• The 51-page analysis of the 2024–25 season concludes that calendar congestion and extreme heat are creating significant health and performance risks for players.
• Examples cited include PSG with seven days of pre-season and Chelsea with 13, both below the 28-day benchmark, while Enzo Fernández logged about 149,000 km of travel last season.
• FIFPRO urges a reassessment of World Cup kick-off times and venues and calls for longer half-time intervals and regular cooling breaks after heat-disrupted Club World Cup matches in the U.S.
• General secretary Alex Phillips says only informal contact with FIFA has occurred so far, with no major, specific negotiations scheduled on 2026 heat protocols or match scheduling.
• The union’s legal action over the international calendar is ongoing, and player leaders such as Chris Wood warn strike action remains a possibility without concrete safeguards.