- Elite-level players are being pushed to the limit amidst a cannibalised match calendar, which has expanded even further during the 2024/25 season
- Kane's Bayern Munich will be one of the 32 teams competing in the newly-introduced FIFA Club World Cup, which will run from 15 June to 13 July
- A FIFPRO-commissioned report published in November 2024 by Belgian University KU Leuven said the professional football sector is failing in its duty to apply required safety standards for players
Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane has said players’ concerns regarding the congested International Match Calendar aren’t being listened to.
Elite-level players are being pushed to the limit amidst a cannibalised calendar, which has expanded even further during the 2024/25 season.
Kane's Bayern Munich will be one of the 32 teams competing in the newly-introduced FIFA Club World Cup, which will run from 15 June to 13 July. And with the next international window taking place between 2-10 June, after the conclusion of the UEFA Champions League final on 31 May, it raises questions over player welfare and a lack of protected rest periods.
Kane said: "I don't think the players are listened to that much, if I'm totally honest. But also everyone wants their piece, their tournament, their prize, and the players are kind of the people who have to get on with it.
"But it is what it is. I love playing football, so I'm never going to complain about playing football. I think if you manage it well, with your coaches and your manager and your clubs, there are ways of getting more rest in certain moments.
"But it's not an easy question, it's not an easy situation. I think there could be a balance from both sides, but we'd have to see how that pans out."
