Red alert for FIFA

Yamal sustained an injury and was diagnosed with an injury requiring 7-10 days of rest.

During the FIFA Days in November, a number of stars unexpectedly withdrew due to minor injuries lasting only 7-10 days. From Lamine Yamal, Bradley Barcola, Enzo Fernandez to Federico Valverde and Thiabaut Courtois, they all shared a similar scenario: the players were fit to play for their clubs, but lacked the fitness to join their national teams.

Suspicions arose over Yamal's case. Barcelona announced that the 18-year-old striker had suffered a groin injury and had to withdraw from the Spanish national team. However, Yamal still played almost the entire duration of the last three matches in La Liga and the Champions League.

Similarly, Fernandez and Pedro Neto still played against Chelsea but were absent from the Argentina and Portugal national teams due to fitness issues. The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) even confirmed that Neto's rest was the result of discussions between Chelsea's medical department and the FPF.

For Real Madrid, Federico Valverde and Thibaut Courtois have both been announced to have muscle injuries, missing the Uruguay and Belgium international breaks respectively. However, both are expected to return before the match against Elche on November 23rd.

Courtois and Valverde were injured during the international break.

The simultaneous occurrence of short-term injuries among many players has raised suspicions that this might be a tactic by clubs to conserve their strength, given the demanding schedule that is draining players' physical fitness.

According to experts, the current intensity of competition exceeds safe limits. Top players have to play nearly 70 matches each season, constantly traveling across the continent. Therefore, a "7-day injury break" becomes a reasonable excuse to allow them to rest without damaging their image.

Under increasing pressure, FIFA was forced to act. President Gianni Infantino met with more than 30 players' unions in Rabat to agree on a plan to reduce the fixture schedule. Starting in the 2026/27 season, FIFA will eliminate the October international break, instead consolidating four international matches into September, while ensuring a 72-hour break between matches and a mandatory 21-day summer vacation for players.

This is seen as a necessary step to end the covert conflict between clubs and the national team, where players' health is being pushed to the most dangerous limits in the era of industrial football.