At just 26, Kylian Mbappe has already carved out a decade-long career in professional soccer, even including a FIFA World Cup victory. With an impressive 521 matches under his belt, the young Frenchman has firmly established himself as one of the world’s elite players. Now a pivotal figure at Real Madrid, Mbappe has raised his voice against FIFA, amplifying the concerns shared by several of his teammates regarding an escalating issue within the sport.
“I can try to understand people who say from their couch: ‘You earn a lot of money, so you have to play.’ My reflection is that we simply need a little more rest. We can play the same number of games, but we should have more rest during the holidays to try to regenerate the body, try to come back and withstand the burden of so many games,” Kylian Mbappe said at a press conference with France.
Even if playing 60 games a year is standard for an NBA player, who might compete in a little over 80 games, the difference in rest periods makes Kylian’s request quite reasonable. According to FIFPro, soccer players receive a four-week break after their season concludes. Meanwhile, NBA players can rest for three months or even longer. This clear difference underscores the justification behind Mbappe’s words.
Kylian delved deeper into the conversation, emphasizing that an increased number of games does not necessarily translate to a better spectacle. He remarked, “I don’t remember seeing a soccer player who has played 60 games in a season at the highest level. I’ve seen some who are considered the best players in history, others who are perhaps a step below, but I’ve never seen a soccer player play 60 games at his best.”
Not only Kylian: Other soccer stars also voice concerns over intense match schedules
Although Kylian Mbappe is the latest player to speak out about FIFA‘s demanding schedule, he is not the first to raise concerns on the matter. Following the announcement of the 2025 Club World Cup, critics, including head coaches like Enzo Maresca and prominent players, quickly expressed their dissatisfaction over the minimal rest period after the season’s end. In response, two more soccer stars have echoed these critics.
Jules Kounde, star player for Barcelona and France, also decided to express his opinion about the high intensity of the professional schedule. “Sometimes in life, when we overdo things, we stop appreciating them. When we see too much, we no longer give it the same importance. That’s what’s happening with soccer — it’s overconsumption… These are things we need to put into perspective and I think they need to change.”
Rodri Hernandez, the latest Ballon d’Or winner, expressed dissatisfaction with the intense schedule in September 2024. “I think it’s too much. Someone has to look after us, because we are the protagonists of this sport, or business, or whatever you want to call it. It’s not all about money or marketing, it’s also about the quality of the spectacle… When the number of games increases, their performance and quality decrease.“