Soccer players’ union FIFPRO eyes 2023 World Cup as catalyst to professionalize women’s game #Soccer #players #union #FIFPRO #eyes #World #Cup #catalyst #professionalize #womens #game

GENEVA (AP) — A risk of overloading women’s soccer players in Europe. Too few competitive games in other parts of the world. Professionalizing domestic leagues too slowly.

One week before the Women’s World Cup kicks off in Australia and New Zealand, global players’ union FIFPRO published analysis on Thursday of its members’ workload on the 32 teams’ road to the July 20-Aug. 20 tournament.

A key takeaway suggested European teams and players with clubs in Europe will be the best prepared to succeed. The first Women’s World Cup expanded to 32 teams includes Haiti, Morocco, Panama and Philippines among teams making their debut.

FILE - Republic of Ireland's Sinead Farrelly, center, greets players after the team's match with the United States in an international friendly soccer match in Austin, Texas, Saturday, April 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

The Women’s World Cup will be played with new programs in place to help protect players and other participants.

FILE - Netherlands' Vivianne Miedema runs with the ball pursued by France's Charlotte Bilbault, left, during the Women Euro 2022 quarterfinals soccer match between France and the Netherlands at the New York Stadium in Rotherham, England, Saturday, July 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Jon Super, File)

Dutch forward Vivianne Miedema and England’s Leah Williamson are among the stars of women’s soccer who won’t be playing in the World Cup.

Candelaria Cabrera, a 12-year-old player with the Huracán de Chabas female team, controls the ball during a soccer match against Alumni in Arequito, Santa Fe province, Argentina, Monday, June 19, 2023. In 2018 when she was seven, Candelaria was the only girl playing in a boys league. After a regional sports regulation forbid mixed teams in youth divisions, she and her family had to fight for her right to keep playing. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Candelaria Cabrera was the only girl playing in a boys league where she lives in Argentina back in 2018.

United States' Megan Rapinoe (15) looks on at the end of the second half of a FIFA Women's World Cup send-off soccer match against Wales in San Jose, Calif., Sunday, July 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Josie Lepe)

Megan Rapinoe said her decision to announce her retirement before the Women’s World Cup will help the U.S. women’s soccer team better focus on its attempt to win a third straight world championship.

The squads of England, Spain and Portugal have played the most competitive minutes in the past year, according to FIFPRO research which was hampered by poor data collection for women’s soccer in some countries outside Europe. Those European powers have also suffered an epidemic of serious knee injuries for star players.

Only Europe had a dedicated, stand-alone qualifying tournament for the Women’s World Cup while other confederations’ games counted also as a continental championship or Olympics qualifiers. FIFPRO research showed Brazil played 18 friendly games in a row while Colombia and Argentina both had 16.

“We just feel that denies players further opportunity to have competitive and consequentially meaningful games,” said Sarah Gregorius, FIFPRO strategy director for women’s soccer.

Even the two-time defending champion United States relies heavily on friendlies rather than competitive action.

The UEFA Women’s Champions League also is ahead of other confederations in giving international competition to club teams. FIFA has targeted a Women’s Club World Cup since at least 2019 but no clear project has yet emerged.

“Some players only have access to around 20 matches per year which is just not enough,” Gregorius said in an online briefing. “The professionalization and league expansion is not happening as quick as we’d like to see.”

Gregorius noted a “large disparity in domestic club structures” which sees Tokyo Olympic champion Canada still without a women’s league, while some national leagues have as few as 12 rounds.

Women’s soccer is growing fast and its signature tournament has doubled in size in just 12 years – from 16 teams at the 2011 edition to 32 teams now.

The rapid expansion could risk lop-sided games like the 13-0 win for the United States over Thailand in a group-stage game four years ago.

“The FIFA Women’s World Cup is a fantastic celebration of the women’s game but is also a time to analyze the sometimes-patchy development of the sport,” FIFPRO general secretary Jonas Baer-Hoffmann said in a statement.