No matter which sport you watch, be it tennis, Formula 1, or football, one thing is apparent: there is more. More football competitions, more races, more tennis matches.
This is a record-breaking year for Formula 1, with 24 races – the most in history and a sharp rise from the 16-race calendar some 21 years ago.
It is also a historic season for football, with a new Champions League format bringing in an extra two group stage fixtures, and the revamped Club World Cup now a month-long competition with 32 teams competing to be crowned the greatest in the world.
Some will relish seeing their favourite teams and athletes playing more frequently, providing high-stakes entertainment practically all year-round. The players themselves, however, are far less enthusiastic.
“Probably they are going to kill us”, said Carlos Alcaraz, the tennis world No.2, referring to the packed schedule. Indeed, the tennis calendar, which British No.1 Jack Draper says gives players “literally no break”, has raised concern among the biggest stars, with the women’s World No.1 and five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek emphasising the impact of the “exhausting” schedule on mental health.
Last season, England and Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden played 72 times for club and country, averaging a game every 5 days. This season, with the new Club World Cup, extended Champions League format, and additional national team games, he could play up to 85.
The problem is that athletes can only play so much before they break. Foden’s City teammate and Spanish midfielder Rodri played 63 games last season; three weeks ago, all that game time finally caught up with him and Rodri tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), sidelining him for the remainder of the season. Similarly, in women’s football, a study by FIFAPro found that those who suffered long-term injuries, such as ACL injuries, were also those who played more games/minutes. Furthermore, a dozen female tennis players – including Swiatek – withdrew from the 2024 China Open for reasons including injury and illness.
It doesn’t just impact the athletes, however.
In Formula 1, the mechanics themselves are overwhelmed by the workload, with some prioritising their personal lives over the incessant work and travel. “Our staff is really at the limit”, said one team’s leader. This should ring alarm bells considering the importance of mechanics in Formula 1; without them, the cars would struggle to even reach the track. McLaren driver Lando Norris has criticised the impact of Sprint weekends (where an additional shorter race is held prior to the main race, a format introduced in 2021) on mechanics and engineers, stating that it is “not healthy for them. It is not sustainable”.
Three-time World Champion Max Verstappen himself has criticised the race calendar as being “way over the limit”, with seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton calling for “quality over quantity”.
Hamilton’s words speak true to the viewers.
We, the audience, want to be captivated by the sports we love. We want to see athletes run riot on the field, overcome with a passion and sheer hunger to win, to entertain, to stand out. Yet, with players being worked to the bone, this is impossible. It’s not surprising that there has been an influx of sluggish, lifeless performances recently. “When I am not tired I perform better, and if the people want to see a better football, we need to rest”, Rodri recently said.
The Chief Executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, Maheta Molango, has confirmed that players “don’t play 100 per cent, they try and play maybe 60 or 70 per cent and manage”. Yet we, the fans, pay to watch our favourite athletes on the expectation that they will give their absolute all, only to find out that they are purposefully not playing at their best just so their bodies can survive the gruesome schedule. It is not fair to the players, and it is not fair to the fans. As Molango states, it would be like “paying to watch Beyoncé but I don’t get to see her full show”.
The much-anticipated 2023 Champions League final comes to mind: Manchester City narrowly defeated Inter Milan for the title, but it was a lacklustre performance from both sides. The problem is apparent in international football too: England suffered heavy criticism for their “dire” performances during the 2024 Euros, but perhaps a reason behind their disconnected and fatigued displays was the fact that, going into the final, the England squad had played the second-highest total minutes in the 23/24 season, with 82,416 minutes, just behind Germany’s squad.
Norwegian striker Erling Haaland had a two-month break between his last competitive fixture of the 23/24 season and first competitive fixture of the 24/25 season (having not played in the Euros); he scored 10 goals in Manchester City’s first five Premier League matches this season, perhaps proving that what players really need to perform at their best is, simply, rest.
So, what can be done?
In terms of the officials, it seems like nothing. The FIFA President disagrees with criticism over the extended Club World Cup, and there is no sign that surplus competitions, such as the UEFA Nations League, will end any time soon despite former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s criticisms.
Likewise, it is unlikely that Formula 1 will reduce the number of races in the calendar, with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali considering, instead, to increase the number of Sprint races.
The players, however, can take a stand.
Before his season-ending injury, Rodri spoke vocally about taking industrial action to fight against the packed schedule. His threats of striking were widely supported by fellow players, such as Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-Min and Barcelona’s Jules Kounde, managers like Pep Guardiola of Manchester City and Enzo Maresca of Chelsea, and even LaLiga president Javier Tebas.
Likewise, Max Verstappen has repeatedly threatened to quit Formula 1 due to the demanding calendar: “If we keep expanding the calendar…you do question whether it is worth it…if it’s getting one point too much then it’s time for a change.” He has also hinted at an early retirement if more Sprint races are added: “I hope there won’t be too many changes, otherwise I won’t be around for too long…if we then start adding even more stuff, it’s not worth it for me anyway”.
Fixture congestion is an issue – that much is clear. For players to have to take industrial action or retire from the sport they love simply because officials do not place importance on player welfare is shameful and inexcusable. Indeed, the overworking of athletes could see many players we love today being forced to end their careers early.
If the players do rebel, the officials should have seen it coming.
