England and Real Madrid have been warned that Jude Bellingham’s burdening workload could seriously harm both his physical and mental health, potentially jeopardising the longevity of his career. Amid growing fear around the congested football calendar and the overexerting of young footballers, a new report by FIFPRO (per The Telegraph), has revealed the enormous physical load that has been placed on the England star.
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, and the global footballers’ union has since revealed the worrying numbers behind the Ballon d’Or nominees’ taxing workload.
FIFPRO Issues Bellingham Warning
The Real Madrid star has played more than Rooney and Gerrard at same age
Research has found that Bellingham’s appearance tally by the age of 21 far exceeds that of former England players such as Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard. Before turning 21, the midfielder had already made 251 appearances for club and country.
Rooney, by comparison, had made 212 at the same age. Owen, another player who broke into the England side as a teenager, had made 156. “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. Following the results, the report also warned:
“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), Gareth Barry (885) and David Beckham (839).
In July, FIFPRO Europe and European Leagues outlined their intention to submit a formal complaint against FIFA to the European Commission, marking another escalation in their opposition to the expanded Club World Cup. This comes after UEFA also confirmed that it had plans to extend the Champions League, while the introduction of the UEFA Nations League only adds further unnecessary strain on players’ wellbeing.
Other Fascinating Insights In The Report
It makes for a concerning read
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 and Argentina defender, travelled a total distance of 162,978km (211 travel hours) last season, the most of any player.
Continuing in its strive to warn players, clubs, and competitions about the situation, Stephane Burchkalter, acting general-secretary of FifPro, added: “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.”
Bellingham isn’t alone in bearing a heavy workload at a young age; his Real Madrid teammate, Vinicius Junior, with 369 appearances by age 24, highlights this trend. In contrast, Ronaldinho had just 163 by the same age. Similarly, Phil Foden made 72 appearances last season, well above FifPro’s recommended 55-match limit, and has now withdrawn from England duty due to illness.