FIFPRO leads global player-first conversation on tech, health and rights in USA

• FIFPRO held successful Player IQ Tech Experience Tour 2025 on 12-17 October in Cleveland and New York City

• The tour’s Cleveland stop brought together medical experts, player association leaders, tech innovators, and sports industry decision-makers to examine role of new technologies and AI in healthcare, biometrics, and performance analytics

• Player data rights management and consent was in focus during the tour’s final leg in New York City, held at baseball union MLBPA’s headquarters

AI boosting injury prevention, recovery and performance, and the need for athlete rights and commercial models to be aligned were among some of the key takeaways from FIFPRO’s Player IQ Tech Experience Tour 2025.

As a broker for responsible innovation, FIFPRO – in collaboration with the MLSPA and the Cleveland Clinic – brought together renowned medical experts, player association leaders, technology specialists, and sports industry decision-makers for panel discussions and workshops on player-centric topics.

The tour’s first stop began in Cleveland and focused on player health safeguarded by innovation.

The final leg of the tour, hosted at the MLBPA headquarters in New York City, spotlighted the vast commercial potential of player data – from licensing and partnerships to emerging revenue models that can empower athletes and unions alike. Discussions centred on how player associations can capture this value responsibly, ensuring that innovation and monetisation go hand in hand with transparency, consent, and player benefit.

Player health safeguarded by innovation

The Cleveland leg of the Player IQ Tech Experience Tour focused on how data and technology are redefining human potential, not only improving recovery and performance but also reshaping the way athletes and medical staff work together.

"Player IQ Tech provided a platform for global leaders in healthcare, peak performance, technology and commercial to create collaborative actions that unlock future value for players, competitions and healthcare providers," said Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO Director of Global Policy and Strategic Relations (Men's Football).

Hosted at the globally renowned Cleveland Clinic, the sessions gathered leading specialists from medicine, football, and technology to explore the next frontier of player health and wellbeing. Experts examined how AI and data-driven tools are transforming injury prevention, diagnosis, and rehabilitation – enabling longer, healthier careers.

Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. Thomas Mroz set the tone by highlighting how the "humanisation of healthcare" now enters a new phase driven by artificial intelligence and advanced material science. His colleague Dr. Paul Saluan underlined how real-time insights are already changing return-to-play pathways: "We now have access to data that lets us derive insights and act instantly so athletes can have longer, healthier careers."

FIFPRO’s Medical Director Prof. Dr. Vincent Gouttebarge and UEFA’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Zoran Bahtijarevic stressed the importance of common standards for data collection and player protection, while FIFPRO’s Director of Women’s Football Dr. Alex Culvin introduced Project ACL, a research initiative advancing injury prevention and recovery for women players.

Across all panels, a shared vision emerged: AI should not replace human care but enhance it – freeing clinicians and performance teams to build stronger, more trusting relationships with players.

The Player Economy

After Cleveland, the focus of the Player IQ Tech Experience Tour shifted to New York City on 16-17 October, where the conversation moved from performance to opportunity. It explored how athlete data can fuel a new era of commercial growth across sports.

Hosted at the MLBPA headquarters, the sessions brought together executives from major player associations across sports alongside investors, start-ups, and technology pioneers – including Sports Data Labs, a FIFPRO partner in consent-based data solutions – to discuss how innovation can be harnessed to generate new value streams for players and unions.

Panels examined how athlete data can power products and partnerships across fields such as gaming, betting, broadcasting, and digital collectibles, with player associations positioned as key brokers in this emerging economy.

"Organising this groundbreaking event while engaging with all stakeholders in a lot more detail is an essential way of keeping FIFPRO at the absolute forefront of technological development, data acquisition and development. Ultimately, players are in the best position to become trailblazers in this space," said FIFPRO’s Chief Commercial Officer Al Buset. "Nurturing these exchanges creates opportunities and provides the pathway to diversify revenue streams."

"FIFPRO’s ability to convene such a broad and diverse group of stakeholders is critical for moving the sports ecosystem forward,” said Angela Ruggiero, Co-Founder of Sports Innovation Lab and four-time Olympian. “Collaboration across the industry is what will unlock the true potential of athlete data. Understanding where the opportunities and risks lie, and ensuring players are at the centre of that conversation, is exactly the kind of leadership the sector needs."

The event particularly highlighted the exciting commercial potential of player data: a fast-growing space where innovation, technology, and athlete empowerment intersect. Speakers stressed the importance of building fair, transparent, and collectively defined frameworks so that new commercial models unlock value for the game while protecting the rights and interests of players.