Players’ Association president Maheta Molango said footballers were “being pushed to their limits” and were discussing taking action. Molango has warned that this summer’s World Cup will be a “survival of the fittest” as players suffer from burnout and face dire conditions, claiming no one is listening to their concerns.
“The World Cup should be a culmination of dreams, but the reality is it’s survival of the fittest. That’s not right,” said Professional Footballers’ Association CEO Molango.
“Let’s get to the root of the problem. It can’t be survival of the fittest. We’re now seeing games where it’s not the best team winning, it’s the fittest winning. The players are superheroes. They’re also very well paid. But that doesn’t mean they should be pushed to the limit from a human perspective.”
“There’s a real risk to the players, and for those who don’t care about it, there’s a real risk to the product, because people pay thousands of pounds to watch people ‘walking’ at best.”
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“Perhaps the players need to self-regulate. That friendly you organized, I’m not going to play. The authorities have decided to invade. We live in a world of bullying, and they think they can get away with bullying.”
“But unfortunately, people don’t seem to realize they’re dealing with humans, and humans aren’t as stupid as they think they are. They understand the power of groups. They’re not stupid. They’re smart and turned on.
Van Dijk has played the most minutes in Europe’s top five leagues.
According to Opta data, 19 Premier League players who have already played more than 4,000 minutes across all competitions this season will be heading into the World Cup. Across Europe’s five major leagues, there are 11 Premier League players in the top 20 for total minutes played.
Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk leads the league with 4,761 minutes played, with teammate Dominik Szoboszlai in fourth place with 4,556 minutes played. The highest-ranked British player was Aston Villa’s Morgan Rodgers (11th) with 4,382 minutes played.
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Virgil van Dijk is closing in on the 5,000-minute mark (Image: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Players from Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest are high on the list as they all compete in European competitions and regularly play international football. Last year’s Fifpro report into player workloads, looking ahead to the 2024-25 season that includes an expanded Club World Cup, criticized an “unprecedented long and packed season” and recommended a minimum four-week end-of-season break and winter break.
In September 2024, Manchester City midfielder Rodri claimed players were “close” to going on strike after his 63-game season. Later that month, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament.
Both FIFA and UEFA have been criticized for expanding the World Cup, Club World Cup, Champions League and adding conference leagues. England’s domestic season made small concessions, such as eliminating the FA Cup rematch, but retained the League Cup.
Maheta continued: “I was talking to one player and he said, ‘I don’t drink, I don’t go out. I couldn’t have done more to stay fit, but I’m injured.'” He said to me, “You were right!” When you came to see us two years ago about the calendar, we listened…and you were right. ”
“There were times this year in this country where they said to me, ‘Maybe we should think about doing something?’ The reality is that we didn’t really focus on the domestic competition at all because the domestic competition is the lifeblood of our players.
“Most of their income comes from domestic competitions. We’ve always danced to someone else’s tune. But let me tell you, this generation of athletes is very smart, switched on, dedicated and sees the big picture.”
Maheta Molango has issued a warning to football’s governing body (Image: Alan Chapman/Dave Bennett/Getty Images)
Molango cited the example of Spain’s star players who refused to play La Liga matches abroad and said it should remind everyone that players are strong and ready to rise. “La Liga has done a great job over the years,” he said.
“They wanted to play in Miami. They did what they always do and just made up their minds. The players just said we’re not going. In the end, the game was called off.”
“If there’s any league with strong leadership, it’s La Liga. There were no games because the players realized they were a commodity. We can sell tickets, but we won’t go.”
“That should have been a wake-up call for the football world. If the players aren’t there, there’s no game. They need to understand what the players are thinking.”
Molango played in the Premier League Summer Series in the United States last summer and has also spoken to players who played in last year’s Club World Cup.
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Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandes called the temperatures at the Club World Cup “incredible” and “dangerous”, saying he felt “really dizzy”. Molango said: “Temperature, climate and a lunchtime kick-off were big concerns. To be fair, FIFA did take input on the schedule, kick-off time and venue. But the concerns remain as we head into this summer.”
“I went to the Premier League Summer Series. I went to see the game in Philadelphia at 3 p.m. and it was so hot I couldn’t breathe. The games were back to back and the difference between the first and second games was like night and day,” he said.
“I talked to the players directly and they said they couldn’t breathe. It’s an American football field, so the grass is very dry. When you go to Atlanta, the pitches are very dry. They’re not playing the NFL.”
Kane, Rice, Bellingham care about football pyramid
What is remarkable about the PFA is that it is a union that has as many millionaire superstars supporting it as journeyman players plying their trade in League One and League Two. Molango believes that is their biggest strength and the reason why their players are now standing up and making a difference. He says they are united and standing strong.
He added: “You have to remember that most of them come from the pyramid of football, including the national team. Harry Kane has played for Leyton Orient. You don’t have to explain to him what that means. You don’t have to explain to Kyle Walker. Declan Rice was rejected by the academy. He was rejected by the academy.”
Enzo Fernandes complained about conditions during the Club World Cup (Image: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
“They understand that. Jude Bellingham played in the Championship with Birmingham City. You don’t have to tell him what that means. They understand, because this is not just a fight for them, it’s also a fight for what comes next.”
“I loved what the Lionesses said: ‘We want to leave the shirt in a better place.’ Kim Littles, Leah Williamson. It’s not just about themselves. They want to leave a legacy and leave the shirt in a better place. That wasn’t necessarily the case 20 years ago.
“I get calls from the captains, some of them aren’t even in the starting lineup, but they call me because they care, both on the boys’ side and the girls’ side.
“What is certain is that the PFA is here for good reason. People don’t just get away with bullying whenever they want. Fortunately, we live in a country where there are laws and it is always the last resort. Gone are the days when players were considered the weakest link. They are the strongest link.”
Rice heading into a 70-game season – no pity.
Molango also claimed that Arsenal midfielder Rice would “not get any sympathy” if he showed up at the World Cup exhausted from a marathon season. PFA chiefs are concerned that England stars like Rice are being forgotten amid calls for more games, more money and bigger TV deals.
But Molango says no one will remember that Rice is facing a 70-game season for club and country against the backdrop of Arsenal’s glory and World Cup challenges. Rice, 27, has already logged 4,246 minutes in all competitions this season, making him the 10th highest Premier League player and second highest English player after Villa’s Rodgers.
Instead, the PFA is calling for a limit on the number of matches, a fixed summer break and strict rules against consecutive seasons. Molango said: “Who feels sorry for Declan Rice? Everyone forgets about the 68 games. If you’re lucky you might even play 68 games before the World Cup. Who will remember that? No one will. They’ll be busy. They’ll say, ‘We have to win the World Cup’.”
Declan Rice is having a marathon season (Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
“We need to bring gaming back to the center of the industry. It’s like Apple having a board meeting and talking about everything about the next iPhone. There’s no point in talking about shops and salespeople, but there’s no point in talking about the next iPhone if it’s bad.”
“It’s the same when you go to a football meeting. You talk about everything except the players. You talk about everything except what’s happening on the pitch. We need to put football back at the center of the game. We need to put football back at the center of the game.”
“According to our data, up to 50-60 games a year. Up to 45 games in a row. At least a month off in the summer. But they say, ‘Sorry, the calendar is locked until 2030.'” But if you want to add games, that’s fine. But when it comes to reducing games, it’s locked.
“It’s not going to work like this. They want everything: the people in the stadium, the broadcast rights, the TV rights. The authorities have vastly underestimated how the players have evolved over the years.”
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