Player health takes centre stage at FIFPRO x Cleveland Clinic summit

• Footballers, player unions, football stakeholders and medical experts came together in London for the inaugural FIFPRO x Cleveland Clinic Peak Performance & Health Summit
• Competition calendars and player safeguards were discussed alongside women’s health, head impacts, mental health and career longevity
• Representatives from FIFA, UEFA, CAF, CONMEBOL, European Football Clubs, LaLiga, the Premier League, alongside FIFPRO member unions and professional footballers, engaged in constructive discussions on player health and performance 

FIFPRO and Cleveland Clinic brought together leading figures from across football and elite sport in London for the inaugural Peak Performance & Health Summit, with player health, safety and career longevity at the centre of discussions.

Drawing on medical and performance research, the summit examined how decisions about competition calendars, working conditions and player safeguards affect footballers’ health and ability to perform. It brought scientific experts, players and football decision-makers together to explore how that evidence can better inform the way the game is organised.

Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) CEO and FIFPRO Global Board Member Maheta Molango said health and performance must be central to decisions about the future of the game.

"A few years ago, talking about performance or health was almost like a niche discussion," said Molango. "I think we learned that it’s not niche, it’s a core discussion, because if players can’t perform, we don’t have an industry."

Finding agreement on player safeguards

Discussions at the Peak Performance & Health Summit focused on competition growth and the next men’s International Match Calendar. Participants examined how minimum safeguards for players can be incorporated into decisions about when and how often they compete.

LaLiga President Javier Tebas warned about the effects of adding matches and competitions for players involved across multiple tournaments.

"What’s undeniable is that this load of matches and competitions affects the players who play in so many competitions," Tebas said. "Anything that involves expanding the calendar and affects player health must be agreed. I insist: agreed."

The programme also addressed the women’s International Match Calendar, considering how to support the game’s growth while accounting for players’ needs. Sessions on working time and load management connected those calendar decisions to the conditions footballers experience throughout the season.

Dr Alex Culvin, FIFPRO’s Director of Women’s Football, highlighted the need for investment in player support to keep pace with professionalisation.

"We’ve seen an expansion of professionalisation across women’s football, and I wouldn’t say that the infrastructure around players’ health and performance is growing at the same rate," said Dr Culvin. "We need more intention from competition organisers, clubs, leagues, confederations and federations when it comes to properly resourcing players."

Player-centric health

Beyond the calendar, the programme covered pregnancy and return to play, women’s health, concussion and repetitive head impacts, young player protection and mental health. Sessions also examined cooperation between coaching, medical and performance departments, and the role of technology and artificial intelligence in decisions affecting players.

FIFPRO’s Medical Director Prof Dr Vincent Gouttebarge highlighted the importance of translating research into protection for players.

"Research helps us understand the risks players face, but its value lies in what we do with that knowledge," said Prof Dr Gouttebarge. "Whether we are discussing concussion, mental health or recovery, the evidence must inform both the care players receive and the decisions that shape their working conditions."

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.

Dr Paul Saluan, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Clinical Development for Cleveland Clinic’s Global Peak Performance Centre, said the partnership’s shared starting point was clear: "We put players and patients first. We put their welfare first."

Dr Saluan added: "Player health and performance are truly integrated. If you have a player who has an injury, that affects their performance, period. And then if they have recurrent injuries, that can potentially affect their career longevity."

The summit’s agenda was curated by an independent Scientific Steering Committee of medical and performance experts.

Representatives from FIFA, UEFA, CAF, CONMEBOL, European Football Clubs, LaLiga and the Premier League joined professional players and FIFPRO member unions. Experts from the International Labour Organization, the National Basketball Players Association and beyond football contributed further perspectives.

Through their partnership, FIFPRO and Cleveland Clinic combine players’ experiences with medical expertise to support informed decisions about their health and performance. The summit provided a platform to connect that evidence with the organisations responsible for shaping players’ working conditions throughout their careers.