World Cup Findings

A FIFPRO survey of 260 players from 26 of the 32 nations at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup exposes significant gaps in player welfare and support around the tournament. Findings included that a fifth of players lacked a pre-tournament electrocardiogram or medical examination, more than half felt they lacked adequate mental-health support, and 86% had less than two weeks’ rest before rejoining their clubs afterwards. The survey also highlighted the financial precarity facing many top-level internationals, with a third earning under $30,000 a year from football and one in five holding a second job. FIFPRO’s Sarah Gregorius and Dr Alex Culvin call on governing bodies to close these gaps and fully apply existing tournament medical regulations, describing anything short of full compliance on ECGs and medicals as unacceptable.