England warned of Jude Bellingham burnout as Fifpro fears he is on track to play a staggering 1,200 matches

Fifpro report expresses concern for physical and mental toll placed on overworked players amid increasing number of matches being scheduled

England and Real Madrid have been warned that Jude Bellingham’s physical and mental health could be severely damaged by his enormous workload, which also threatens to “derail” his career longevity.
A new report by Fifpro, the global footballers’ union, has revealed the enormous physical load that has been placed on Bellingham so far in his career and illustrated how his number of appearances far exceeds those made by comparable English players of the past.
Bellingham is unavailable for England’s matches in this international break due to a calf injury that has ruled him out of action since last month. In a post on social media, Bellingham said: “Maybe my body is telling me it needs a bit more rest after a busy year.”
The injury came after the 21-year-old said during the summer that he was “mentally and physically exhausted” at the end of England’s European Championship campaign.
Fifpro’s report identified a trend for younger players accumulating extensive playing time and warned that the situation could have significant implications for their health and performances.
The research found that Bellingham’s number of appearances by the age of 21 far exceeds that of former England players such as Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard.
Before turning 21, Bellingham made 251 appearances for club and country. Rooney, by comparison, had made 212 appearances at the same age. Michael Owen, another player who broke into the England side as a teenager, had made 156 appearances.
“By the end of the 2023/24 season, Bellingham had played over 250 first-team appearances across club and national team (over 19,000 minutes),” the report found.
“It should not be forgotten that Bellingham only turned 21 on the 29th of June 2024 and his remarkable number of appearances made so far in his career has stemmed from not only playing a lot in each season but also receiving substantial first-team minutes at 16 whilst at Birmingham City.
“This over-exposure at an early age not only has a risk of physical burnout, but the pressure to constantly perform at a high level can impact a young player’s mental health, as well. Career longevity is also an issue, with injuries and the related ‘wear and tear’ on a player’s body often impacting these footballers at an earlier stage.”
Fifpro’s projection is that Bellingham could ultimately make more than 1,200 professional appearances in his career, which would be significantly more than other notable England players such as Frank Lampard (1,002 appearances), Gareth Barry (885 appearances) and David Beckham (839 appearances).
 
Bellingham is not alone in shouldering an enormous physical burden at such a young age, with Real Madrid team-mate Vinicius Junior another example of the shift towards young players making more appearances.
By the age of 24, Vinicius had made 369 career appearances. Former Brazil international Ronaldinho, at the same age, had made just 163 appearances.
England and Manchester City star Phil Foden was also dangerously overworked last season, when he made 72 appearances — far beyond Fifpro’s recommended limit of 55 matches. Foden has withdrawn from England duty this week because of illness.
Elite-level players are increasingly raising their voices in protest against their workloads and Fifpro has warned that the demands placed upon them will ultimately harm the individuals and the competitions in which they play.
The report found that some players have seen their time off fall to just 12 per cent of the calendar year, the equivalent of less than one full day off per week. The research also showed that Cristian Romero, the Tottenham Hotspur and Argentina defender, travelled a total distance of 162,978km (211 travel hours) last season, the most of any player.
“Today we face one of the most serious and urgent problems in our sport,” said Stephane Burchkalter, acting general-secretary of Fifpro. “A problem that results from the abuse of governance and a failure of the duty of care. The holistic workload that confronts our players is unprecedented. It has produced a physical and mental fatigue that is now dangerous.
“Our players have already surpassed their limits. The international calendar is already more than full. But what is the response from international bodies? More. More games, more competitions, more votes. And no safeguards or considerations for players.
“This seems to be the vision for the future of our sport. We cannot continue like this! This path is not sustainable. It harms the players and harms the competitions that already exist.”
In July, FifPro Europe and European Leagues announced they are to file a formal complaint against Fifa to the European Commission in another escalation of their revolt against the expanded Club World Cup.