2023-07-14 00:38:02
GENEVA (AP) — A risk of overwork for soccer players in Europe. Very few competitive matches in other parts of the world. And the professionalization of the national leagues is progressing very slowly.
A week before the Women’s World Cup kicks off in Australia and New Zealand, FIFPRO, the global soccer players’ union, published on Thursday an analysis of the workload of its members belonging to the 32 teams that will contest the tournament on July 20 at 20th of August.
The analysis suggests that teams from Europe, and players who play for clubs on that continent, will be better prepared to succeed. The first Women’s World Cup expanded to 32 teams will include the debut of Haiti, Morocco, Panama and the Philippines.
Teams England, Spain and Portugal have played the most competitive minutes in the last year, according to FIFPRO research, which would be affected by poor data collection on women’s football in some countries outside Europe.
Those European powerhouses have meanwhile suffered an epidemic of serious knee injuries in top players.
Only Europe had a separate and specific elimination tournament leading up to the World Cup. Other confederations granted classification in continental or Olympic events.
FIFPRO’s research showed that Brazil played 18 friendly matches in a row, while Colombia and Argentina had 16 each.
“We just feel this denies female footballers more opportunities to play competitive and therefore meaningful matches,” said Sarah Gregorius, FIFPRO’s strategic director for women’s football.
Even the United States, two-time defending champions, relies more on friendlies than competitive duels to prepare.
The UEFA Champions League is also ahead of other confederations in giving clubs international competition. FIFA has envisioned a Women’s Club World Cup since at least 2019, but no clear project has emerged.
“Some players only have access to about 20 games a year, which is not enough,” Gregorius said during the online chat. “The professionalization and expansion of the league is not happening as quickly as we would like.”
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