SOCCER: FIFPRO report highlights workload imbalance problem in women's game

Women’s soccer is facing a unique challenge as elite players struggle with heavy match calendars while others are held back by a lack of competitive games — a disparity that creates injury risks across the sport.

A new FIFPRO report on women’s player workload, released Friday, shows match demands are surging at the top levels of the sport. Leading players are competing in more club and international fixtures while receiving less recovery time.

On the opposite end, domestic leagues with limited schedules are failing players through “underload,” leaving them without enough meaningful match experience.

“We talk a lot about the players who are exposed to a high workload, mainly because they’re the highest-profile players. We need to keep them fit because they’re what people want to watch,” said Alex Culvin, FIFPRO’s director of women’s football.

“But at the opposite end of the spectrum, the players who are underloaded are at risk — if not more at risk — for injury. There was a study that found players who compete in fewer than 25 games a season are more likely to face certain types of injuries.”

Stark Disparities in Elite Leagues

The report revealed sharp contrasts even within Europe’s top divisions. In Germany and France’s premier leagues, players average no more than 14 matches across all competitions — roughly one-and-a-half games per month during the season.

England’s Women’s Super League also highlighted this development gap. An Arsenal first-team player accumulated the equivalent of 13 more full matches than a second-tier Crystal Palace player over the same period.

According to FIFPRO, this lack of playing time fuels a vicious cycle, leaving athletes less prepared for high-level competition and limiting their chances of national team selection. The gap then continues to widen.

“They need competition time. Underload is a reality,” said Spain international Maitane Lopez, who plays for the Chicago Stars. “All these young players don’t have enough time to develop.”

Elite Overload Problem

On the other extreme is Spain’s Aitana Bonmatí, whose three Ballon d’Or titles also reflect the growing workload among the world’s top players.

The Barcelona midfielder logged an intense 60 appearances last season, contributing to her club’s domestic league and cup titles, a Champions League runner-up finish, and Spain’s run to the Euros final.

But the 27-year-old is now expected to miss around five months after undergoing surgery for a fractured left fibula sustained during training with Spain.

Culvin noted that even for stars like Bonmatí, conditions still fall short of those enjoyed by elite men’s players, who often have access to charter flights, dedicated nutritionists, personal physios, and top-tier training facilities.

“These women players who are exposed to this high workload are still not playing in conditions that allow them to thrive, even at the biggest clubs in the world and even on the best national teams,” Culvin said.

Lopez added that workloads are increasing faster than the support systems meant to protect players.

“They don’t have the same conditions — not even close — to the men’s side,” she said. “For me, it’s important to invest more in everything around the players so they can fully rest and recover. Burnout is real, and mental health is very important.” -Rohith Nair in Bengaluru;Editing by Christian Radnedge/Reuters