Soccer’s ever-growing schedule has sparked a crucial debate: is expansion always a good thing? With domestic, continental, and global tournaments all jostling for room in a calendar that’s stretched to its limits, the strain on players has become impossible to ignore. Issues like player fatigue, conflicts between club and country, and the future direction of the sport are more pressing than ever.
Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid’s star goalkeeper, is one of the players feeling the intense physical and mental toll firsthand. Despite the complexity of the issue, Courtois believes one argument needs to be dismissed entirely: the idea that players’ high salaries make the demands acceptable.
“You can’t keep saying, ‘Oh, but you earn a lot of money,’” Courtois shared with CNN Sport after receiving the Player Career Award at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai. “You can still make money while playing fewer games. The issue isn’t the number of games, but the lack of rest. That’s where the real problem lies.”
Players’ Voices Go Unheard
Earlier this year, tensions reached a boiling point when players’ unions challenged FIFA’s decision to expand the Club World Cup to 32 teams. Scheduled for mid-2025 in the U.S., the tournament has been criticized for further squeezing an already packed calendar. Unions argue that players’ right to an annual break, protected under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, is being ignored without valid justification.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, however, defended the move, claiming the expanded schedule is necessary to generate revenue for football’s growth worldwide. “Our revenues go to 211 countries, not just a few clubs,” Infantino stated during the FIFA Congress in Bangkok.
But Courtois is unconvinced. “No, I don’t think organizers are really listening,” he said. “FIFPRO tries to protect players, but other governing bodies don’t seem to prioritize our well-being.”
The NBA as a Blueprint
For Courtois, the NBA offers an interesting comparison. Despite playing over 80 games a season, basketball players are guaranteed two months of rest in the summer, allowing time for recovery and preparation. Soccer, on the other hand, offers players little to no downtime.
“If we had a solid two-month break, like the NBA, it would make a huge difference,” Courtois said. “One month to rest, one month to train—that way, we’d be ready for nine intense months. Right now, we go straight from one tournament to the next. It’s no wonder injuries keep piling up.”
Courtois pointed to his own experience, having recently recovered from a severe ACL injury that sidelined him for nine months. He also highlighted the grueling schedules of his teammates, like Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal, who barely had a few weeks of rest between seasons.
“This constant grind doesn’t exist in other sports. In the NBA or NFL, they’d find this schedule unthinkable,” Courtois remarked. “Sometimes we joke, saying, ‘Our next real holiday is in 2027.’ But it’s not really a joke—it’s the harsh reality.”
Club vs. Country
The problem isn’t confined to club football. International competitions have expanded significantly, with tournaments like the European Championship, the African Cup of Nations, and even World Cup qualifiers demanding more from players. Additionally, the introduction of the UEFA Nations League has added more high-stakes games to the mix.
Courtois acknowledged the appeal of these tournaments but criticized the lack of opportunities for squad rotation. “In national teams, every game is so important that coaches can’t experiment. They can’t rest key players because there’s no room for error,” he explained.
For now, Courtois has stepped away from the Belgian national team following a disagreement with coach Domenico Tedesco. Yet, he hopes to represent his country again someday, possibly at another World Cup.
Pushing for Change
While Courtois supports some of the recent changes in club football, such as the revamped Champions League format, he remains adamant that players’ voices need to be heard. “We’re expected to win everything at Real Madrid, and we want to. But that doesn’t mean we can keep going without proper rest and recovery.”
The conversation around soccer’s congested calendar is far from over. But as more players like Courtois speak out, perhaps the sport will finally start to prioritize the well-being of those who make it all possible.