FIFPRO and Cleveland Clinic to bring football's health and performance leaders together in London

• FIFPRO and Cleveland Clinic will host the Peak Performance & Health Summit in London from 28 to 30 September
• Leading high-performance and medical experts, industry stakeholders, professional footballers and player associations from across sport will discuss how physical and mental load, working time, and competition schedules continue to affect player health and performance
• The summit will examine scientific evidence and explore practical solutions to support modern players in staying healthy throughout their careers

FIFPRO and Cleveland Clinic will welcome leading figures from across football and elite sport to London on 28 to 30 September for the FIFPRO x Cleveland Clinic Peak Performance & Health Summit 2026.

In its inaugural edition, the bi-annual summit brings together player unions, football organisations, and medical and performance experts to examine evidence and explore how the game can better protect players’ health and maximise their athletic performance amid growing demands. A specific focus is given to women’s health at a crucial time for the football industry ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027.

Football stakeholders taking part will include representatives of FIFA, UEFA, CAF, CONMEBOL, European Football Clubs, La Liga, the Premier League, alongside FIFPRO member unions and professional footballers.

The International Labour Organization and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) and various performance and clinical experts will bring perspectives from beyond football.

Speakers will include Javier Tebas (La Liga), Rebecca Caplehorn (Premier League), Manolo Zubiria and Andreas Serner (FIFA), Evert Verhagen and Kat Okholm Kryger (UEFA), Maheta Molango (PFA/FIFPRO Board Member) and Joaquim Evangelista (SJPF/FIFPRO Board Member) alongside a range of industry and player union experts across the world.

The Chief Medical Officers of FIFPRO, CAF and CONMEBOL – Prof Dr Vincent Gouttebarge, Dr Boubakari Sidiki and Dr Osvaldo Pangrazio – will join members of FIFPRO's High-Performance Advisory Network (HPAN), including its Chair, Dr Darren Burgess (Juventus), on a range of technical discussions on key performance trends alongside peers from across the industry.

"Player health and performance is no longer something for the medical room alone. It shapes calendars, competitions and contracts, and it has become one of the defining questions for the future of our industry. For players, health is their career and for the game, it is the foundation of the performance that fans, broadcasters and partners invest in," said Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO’s Director of Global Policy and Strategic Relations for men’s football.

"This summit brings players, competition organisers and leading medical and performance experts to one table, with Cleveland Clinic and an independent Scientific Steering Committee making sure the discussion rests on evidence. As player unions, we will always be constructive and look for common sense solutions that work for the whole game. The participation of and open dialogue with all football stakeholders is what makes this a unique setting to discuss such solutions."

Cleveland Clinic is a world-renowned academic medical centre whose expertise spans patient care, pioneering research and medical education. Through their partnership, FIFPRO and Cleveland Clinic combine the players’ perspective with medical expertise to put evidence at the heart of discussions about footballers’ health and performance.

"Protecting player health often starts with understanding the demands of elite sport,” said Dr Paul Saluan, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Clinical Development for Cleveland Clinic’s Global Peak Performance Centre.

"By bringing medical and performance research into the same conversation as players and football decision-makers, this summit can help turn evidence into better care throughout a player’s career."

Industry-wide participation

The summit is designed as a platform for constructive discussion across the football industry, combining player experience, medical and performance expertise, and the perspectives of organisations responsible for competitions and working conditions.

Across the wider programme, speakers will address the women’s International Match Calendar, pregnancy and return to play, concussion and repetitive head impacts, working time, private conditioning, and the relationship between coaching, medical and performance teams. 

Speakers will include FIFPRO’s Director of Women’s Football Dr Alex Culvin, former England and Chelsea captain Millie Bright, former Scotland international Rachel Corsie and Northern Ireland international Simone Magill, as well as WSL Football CEO Nikki Doucet and former Head of Sports Science at Manchester City Dr Philip Batty.

Sessions will also draw lessons from US professional sport and explore emerging challenges including technology, mental health and the protection of young players.

The programme agenda has been curated by a Scientific Steering Committee of independent medical and performance experts. Through its partnership with Cleveland Clinic, FIFPRO is bringing evidence, player experience and cross-industry expertise together to lead the conversation on player health and performance. 

The summit will provide a platform for constructive collaboration, while maintaining an independent focus on the structures and decisions that affect players’ health, safety and career longevity.

Updates, insights and key takeaways from the summit will be shared throughout the event across FIFPRO’s website and social media channels.