Kylian Mbappe has become the latest high-profile player to voice concerns over football’s demanding calendar, urging for changes to better protect players. The Real Madrid star revealed that a health scare during the Club World Cup has led him to reassess his opinion on workload, advocating for more rest and recovery time to improve player welfare and match quality.
Kylian Mbappe has become the latest star player to publicly criticise football’s relentless fixture schedule, urging for reforms to protect player health and improve the overall quality of the game. The Real Madrid forward, who has seen his fair share of intense seasons, shared his evolving thoughts on the issue, particularly following a health scare that sidelined him during the Club World Cup due to gastroenteritis.
The French international, who is no stranger to the demands of top-tier football, expressed his belief that players simply cannot maintain the high standards required over a grueling 60-game season. “I don’t know if we’re ready to play a 60-game season. I’ve seen many games in my experience, and I can’t remember a player who has played a 60-game season at the highest level,” Mbappe stated. His comments came after he reflected on his own health scare, where the virus forced him to reconsider the physical demands placed on players.
Mbappe pointed out that the common justification for the demanding schedule—their substantial salaries—does not adequately address the long-term consequences of such intense workloads. “The answer is always that we’re making a lot of money, ‘play,’ and that’s why we play. But I thought about it, and my thinking has evolved: we need more time for rest, for vacations,” he added.
The issue, according to Mbappe, is exacerbated by the lack of adequate recovery time between seasons. He highlighted how some teams were already in pre-season training while Real Madrid was still engaged in the Club World Cup, illustrating the problem of fixture congestion at the highest level.
Mbappe’s statements add significant weight to the growing call from players and managers alike to reevaluate the football calendar. With competitions such as the Champions League and the Club World Cup expanding, the player welfare debate has never been more relevant. The French captain believes that by allowing players more rest, the overall level of competition would rise, ultimately benefiting the sport and the fans. “In the end, everyone will win. There will be higher-level matches. We love football and we love our jobs,” he concluded.
As Mbappe prepares to lead France in crucial World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine and Iceland, his comments are likely to place increased pressure on governing bodies like FIFA and UEFA, as well as players’ unions, to address the scheduling concerns that have become a central issue in modern football. The conversation about how to balance the demands of the game with the welfare of its players is set to continue, with Mbappe’s influential voice now firmly part of that debate.
