Football’s global stage is once again under the microscope as the 2024-25 season draws to a close, and it isn’t just the thrilling action on the pitch that’s grabbing headlines. On September 29, 2025, two seismic announcements shook the sport: a damning FIFPRO report highlighting the dangers of calendar congestion and extreme heat for elite players, and a FIFA ruling that handed South Africa a punishing setback in their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. Both stories shine a spotlight on the immense pressures facing footballers and federations as the sport barrels toward its most ambitious World Cup yet.
The FIFPRO report, released on Monday, paints a sobering picture of a sport stretched to its limits. With the men’s game jam-packed by relentless fixtures, player welfare is now a red-hot topic. The 32-team Club World Cup, held earlier this year, pushed some players—like Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi—through almost an entire year of non-stop football. For clubs like PSG, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich, offseasons and preseasons were slashed to the bone, leaving little time for rest or recovery. “You’ve got the perfect storm of how not to treat a human,” Dr. Darren Burgess, a FIFPRO consultant, told journalists. “You’ve got players playing a large number of games followed by fewer than the recommended off-season days and preseason days followed by a large number of games again. The cycle keeps repeating.”
What’s the fallout? According to Dr. Burgess, “This leads to injury at worst and at best reduced capacity to perform.” The report’s medical experts have called for urgent changes: a minimum four-week break between seasons, at least two days between appearances, and a serious rethink of travel demands. Without these safeguards, FIFPRO warns the participation of many top players at the 2026 World Cup could be in jeopardy.
But it’s not just the packed calendar that’s causing sleepless nights. For the first time, FIFPRO’s annual report zeroes in on the threat of extreme heat—a risk that’s getting worse as the planet warms. Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO’s Director of Policy & Strategic Relations, explained, “This year, with the impact at the Club World Cup, and the pathway towards the World Cup in the US, it felt necessary to include it in the report this year. The risk to player health is clearly rising.”
Using the Club World Cup as a case study, the findings are alarming. Four matches played in the US soared above 28°C (82°F), crossing FIFPRO’s recommended threshold for cancellation. Seventeen more games edged dangerously close to that mark. In one dramatic moment, Borussia Dortmund’s substitutes were forced to stay indoors because the heat outside was simply too much to bear. “The harder and longer athletes play, the greater their heat exposure, increasing risks from fatigue and dizziness to heat stroke and long-term illnesses,” said Manal Azzi, an occupational health and safety expert for the International Labor Organization, in the report.
Looking ahead, the 2026 World Cup looms as the biggest—and potentially most hazardous—edition ever. With 48 teams, 104 games, and matches spread across three countries and varied climates, the logistical and health challenges are unprecedented. Six of the 16 host cities are already classified as ‘extreme risk’ for heat-related illness, raising red flags for players and fans alike. The situation has only become more fraught after US President Donald Trump’s recent comments about relocating matches from cities he deems unsafe, specifically naming San Francisco and Seattle as “run by radical left lunatics.” While the political rhetoric swirls, the practical concerns about heat and player fatigue remain front and center.
FIFPRO isn’t taking these issues lying down. The players’ union is now engaged in legal action against FIFA, demanding that the governing body address calendar congestion and implement meaningful load management reforms. “There is a significant shift in the discourse,” Bielefeld observed. “This is not sufficient. We need urgent action, but we are in a very different space than we were two-three years ago.” Alexander Phillips, FIFPRO’s secretary general, echoed the urgency: “We will keep fighting for the best possible outcome on this issue and many other issues. But they all boil down to the same issue which is that the system is not working.”
Amid all this, the relentless football schedule rolls on. As fans count down to the 2026 World Cup, the hope is that the world’s best players will be fit and ready to shine on the grandest stage. But with so many warning signs flashing, it’s clear the sport is at a crossroads—and decisions made now could shape football’s future for years to come.
Meanwhile, in Africa, the path to the World Cup just got rockier for South Africa. On the same day as the FIFPRO report, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee confirmed sanctions against the South African Football Association (SAFA) for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in their March 21, 2025, qualifier against Lesotho. The ruling is a hammer blow for Bafana Bafana’s campaign: FIFA has awarded the match as a 3-0 victory to Lesotho, stripping South Africa of the three points they had won on the field. SAFA was also hit with a fine of approximately $11,000, and Mokoena received a formal warning.
FIFA’s decision cited breaches of both Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 14 of the 2026 World Cup Preliminary Competition Regulations. All parties were notified, and SAFA now has ten days to request a detailed judgment, with the option to appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee. The timing couldn’t be worse for coach Hugo Broos and his squad. South Africa had been building momentum in Group C, but the points deduction tightens an already competitive qualifying race and piles pressure on their remaining fixtures. For a nation hungry to return to the World Cup stage, the setback stings.
It’s a reminder that, in football, the margins are razor-thin and the consequences of administrative slip-ups can be every bit as devastating as a last-minute goal conceded. As the countdown to the 2026 World Cup continues, the drama is unfolding both on and off the pitch. From player welfare crises to regulatory bombshells, the beautiful game is navigating a turbulent period—one that will demand resilience, reform, and a bit of luck if the world’s top stars are to shine in North America next summer.
With the spotlight firmly on FIFA, FIFPRO, and national associations, all eyes are now on how the sport’s leaders will respond. Will urgent reforms arrive in time to protect players and ensure fair competition? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure: the road to the 2026 World Cup is proving to be anything but smooth.
