Players open Letter to FIFA on Heat Stress and Player Welfare
Professional footballers warn the climate crisis is worsening player welfare risks. In a new open letter, players have backed medical experts’ call for stronger heat-stress protocols for the upcoming FIFA World Cup and serious climate action from FIFA.
Read the full letter below.
We write as current and former professional players.
Many of us have experienced heat impacting our sport. It can make you feel light-headed, dizzy, experience fatigue, muscle cramps and worse. You can run less and it becomes impossible to play with the same intensity as with more average temperatures. With the ever busier football calendar, physical and mental fatigue are already impacting many players. The heat made worse by the climate crisis adds an extra layer of challenge.
We find it important that all players are protected from heat impacts, from the grassroots to the elite level. As the elite playing the World Cup sets the example for players around the World, it’s essential that the best available medical expertise is put to practice.
We share the concerns outlined by the medical professionals and support their demand that FIFA updates its heat-stress framework before the World Cup.
This should go along with consistent climate action, since it would be a missed opportunity if a sport so impacted by the climate crisis doesn’t take its responsibility in addressing it. We know the power that professional football can have if it chooses to do the right thing, from tackling racism to the fight for gender equality and broader inclusion. We therefore support previous calls by players for FIFA to drop fossil fuel sponsors and take serious climate action to reduce its climate impact, including a smaller, more regional football calendar. This has the added benefit of also lowering the impact on already overburdened players.
We look forward to hearing from you on this.
Yours sincerely,
Signed:
David Wheeler, United Kingdom, formerly Exeter City, Queens Park Rangers, Wycombe Wanderers and others
Elena Linari, Italy, London City Lionesses, 120 caps for the Italian national team
Morten Thorsby, Norway, Cremonese, 29 caps for the Norwegian national team
Chuba Akpom, United Kingdom, Ipswich Town
Christian Burgess, United Kingdom, Union Saint-Gilloise
Sofie Junge Pedersen, Denmark, FC Badalona, 89 caps for the Danish national team
Anis Mehmeti, Albania, Ipswich Town, 4 caps for the Albanian national team
Lucia Di Guglielmo, Italy, Washington Spirit, 40 caps for the Italian national team
Nedum Onuoha, United Kingdom, formerly Manchester City, Sunderland, QPR, Real Salt Lake, 25 caps for the U21 English national team
Chloe Gorman, United States, formerly Vermont Green, Aalborg Bk, Estoril Praia, Ho Chi Minh City, FC Mulhouse, 5 caps for the USA national team
Massimo Luongo, Australia, Millwall, 45 caps for the Australian national team
Nabi Kibunguchy, Kenya / United States, Hougang United, 1 cap for the Kenyan national team
Tjay de Barr, Gibraltar, Lincoln Red Imps, 60 caps for the Gibraltar national team
Franco Ravizzoli, Argentina, Blackpool FC
Nick Freeman, United Kingdom, Shrewsbury Town
Matthäus Taferner, Austria, WSG Tirol, 11 caps for the U21 Austrian national team
Justen Glad, United States, Real Salt Lake
Funso King Ojo, Belgium, Port Vale
Pat Baldwin, United Kingdom, formerly Chelsea, Colchester United and others
Jack Wakely, United Kingdom, formerly Chelsea, Wycombe, Ebbsfleet and others
Carly Wetzel, United States, FFC Hof
Dominic Gape, United Kingdom, Colchester United
Beryly Lubala, United Kingdom, Stevenage Football Club
Tiffany Sornpao, United States / Thailand, Vitória SC, 29 caps for the Thailand national team
Colm Horgan, Ireland, Galway United
Matthew Pennington, United Kingdom, Bradford City AFC
Jordan Rhodes, United Kingdom, formerly Blackburn Rovers, Huddersfield Town, Sheffield Wednesday and others, 15 caps for the Scottish national team
Alex Hartridge, United Kingdom, Burton Albion
Luca Hoole, Wales, Shrewsbury Town
Katie Rood, New Zealand, formerly Juventus, Bristol City, Lewes FC, Southampton, Heart of Midlothian and others, 15 caps for the New Zealand national team
Winonah Heatley, Australia, AS Roma, 20 caps for the Australian national team
Russell Martin, United Kingdom, formerly Wycombe Wanderers, Peterborough United, Norwich City and others, 29 caps for the Scottish national team
Maya Antoine, Canada, AS Roma
Jasper Pattenden, United Kingdom, Stevenage Football Club
Matt Bloomfield, United Kingdom, Oxford United
Jack Grimmer, United Kingdom, Wycombe Wanderers
Matt Butcher, United Kingdom, Salford City
Nathan Thompson, United Kingdom, formerly Swindon, Portsmouth, Peterborough, Stevenage, MK Dons
Bobby Olejnik, Austria, formerly Exeter City, Aston Villa, Mansfield Town, Torquay United, Falkirk, Peterborough United and others, 21 caps for Austrian youth teams
Paul Tisdale, United Kingdom, formerly Southampton, Exeter City and others
Max Stryjek, Poland, Kilmarnock
Jordan Houghton, United Kingdom, Stevenage Football Club
Matthew Ingram, United Kingdom, Oxford United
Robbie Simpson, United Kingdom, formerly Cambridge Utd, Coventry City, Oldham Athletic, Brentford, Exeter City, MK Dons and others
Jack Young, United Kingdom, Worthing
Jimmy Keohane, Ireland, Galway United
Joel Grant, United Kingdom / Jamaica, Watford, Crewe Alexandra, Wycombe Wanderers, Yeovil Town, Exeter Town, Plymouth Argile, Swindon Town and others, 14 caps for the Jamaica national team
Josh Scowen, United Kingdom, Wycombe Wanderers
Danny Rose, United Kingdom, Salford City
Lloyd James, United Kingdom, Yate Town
Matt Oakley, United Kingdom, formerly Southampton, Leicester City, Derby County and others, 3 caps for the England U21 national team
Adam Reach, United Kingdom, Lincoln City Football Club
Malachi Linton, United Kingdom, AFC Totton
James Hamon, United Kingdom, Torquai United
Kieran Sadlier, United Kingdom / Ireland, Sporting Club Jacksonville
Pierce Sweeney, Ireland, Exeter City
Matthew Clarke, United Kingdom, Derby County
Kane Vincent-Young, United Kingdom / Grenada, Colchester United, 8 caps for the Grenada national team
Craig Woodnam, United Kingdom, formerly Bristol City, Wycombe Wanderers, Exeter City and others
Brandon Hanlan, United Kingdom, Doncaster Rovers