The report, released Friday, notes that the expansion of women’s domestic leagues, the enlargement of international tournaments, and the introduction of new competitions have combined to dramatically increase player workloads. For elite athletes, this often means balancing multiple club and national team commitments with little time for rest and recovery.
Yet the situation is far from uniform. While some top-tier players are logging more than 50 matches in a single season, others struggle to gain meaningful playing time, which can hinder skill development and affect long-term performance. FIFPRO is urging governing bodies to introduce a more balanced calendar and stronger protections for players on both ends of the workload spectrum, including mandated rest periods.
“It is about the calendar and the cadence of the calendar, but it’s also about the conditions in which those games are played and the rest and recovery for the players,” said Alex Culvin, FIFPRO’s director of women’s football. “We take this as a very holistic view. It’s all about growing the game sustainably, but allowing the players to be in environments where they can thrive.”
The findings, based on data from 300 players across 30 leagues during the 2024-25 season, revealed that for the first time since FIFPRO began tracking workload in 2020, the top 15 women’s players each exceeded 50 matches in a single season. Leading the way was Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati, who played 60 matches for Barcelona and Spain, with less than five days of recovery between 57% of her games. Bonmati recently suffered a fibula fracture in training with Spain and is expected to be sidelined for at least five months.
Travel demands also contribute heavily to player fatigue. Linda Caicedo of Real Madrid and Colombia logged 95,000 kilometers—over 59,000 miles—across 18 trips during the season, the report highlighted.
Meanwhile, some players in top leagues in France and Germany played as few as 13 or 14 matches across all competitions, illustrating the stark disparities within the sport.
“I was really concerned when I read the overload data, but also underload, it’s a reality,” said Maitane Lopez, who plays for the Chicago Stars and Spain. “All of these young players coming into leagues aren’t having enough time to develop. That matters because everyone wants to win—the players, the coaches, the clubs. If you’re not developing and taking care of players, the impact might not be immediate, but it will be huge long term.”
FIFPRO continues to advocate for rest periods to be formally embedded within FIFA’s competition calendar, although the current schedule is locked in through 2029.
“Having rest periods within the calendar that are untouchable is really important,” Culvin said. “It’s essential for player welfare and for the sustainable growth of the game.”