Africa-Press – Lesotho. Paris Saint-Germain’s injury crisis is raising alarm bells far beyond the French capital. With Marquinhos the latest to join a long list of absentees including Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, João Neves, Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, FIFPRO’s latest report confirms what many feared: overloaded calendars are pushing players to breaking point.
After PSG’s marathon 2024/2025 season ended with the Club World Cup final against Chelsea on July 13, the squad returned to training on August 6 and faced Tottenham in the European Super Cup just a week later. That left no real preseason, a key factor behind the physical setbacks now piling up.
Fixture overload under the microscope
FIFPRO’s report highlights systemic failings. The players’ union insists on a minimum 28 days of rest after a season and a proper four-week preseason, but PSG, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City all fell short. PSG had only seven preseason days, Chelsea 13, Madrid and City 19.
Rest and preparation times continue to shrink while fixture demands grow. The toll is clear: Arda Güler played 80 games last season, Luka Modric 79, João Neves 76, and both Federico Valverde and Fabian Ruiz reached 73. Union president Sergio Marchi warned that football’s future depends on restoring balance and respecting recovery windows.
Young stars carry the heaviest burden
The dangers are not limited to veterans. Lamine Yamal, hailed as the brightest young talent in world football, has already clocked 8,158 minutes before turning 18, nearly double his peers. Jude Bellingham follows with 6,216 minutes, still a staggering load for a teenager. FIFPRO warns that overexposing developing players carries long-term risks to their health and careers.
Added to that are extreme heat conditions — like those seen in the U.S., host of the 2026 World Cup — and punishing travel schedules, such as Moisés Caicedo’s 25,000 km journey for just four matches. The report makes one thing clear: unless football authorities act, both stars and rising talents face a future of burnout and shortened careers.
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