Concerns Arise Over Lamine Yamal’s Heavy Workload and Injury
As the second international break of the 2025-26 season arrives, Barcelona’s 18-year-old forward Lamine Yamal is taking a much-needed week off. Unfortunately, this downtime comes as he recuperates from a groin injury sustained during a Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
While Yamal’s injury could simply be a stroke of bad luck along with the intense demands of professional football, his impressive tally of 130 senior appearances and 8,158 minutes played before turning 18 raises concerns about potential burnout. Few, if any, elite young players have experienced such a high workload at this stage in their careers, leading to alarm among experts.
Echoing these worries, FIFPRO — the international players’ union — highlighted Yamal’s situation in a report examining player health, titled “Overworked and Underprotected – Player Health and Performance Impact.” Dr. Darren Burgess, a member of FIFPRO’s High-Performance Advisory Network, stated, “The increasing intensity of the modern game poses significant risks, particularly for young athletes aged 16 to 20. At a time when their bodies and minds are still developing, the demands of compressed schedules and rigorous training may have lasting effects on their performance and careers.”
In Yamal’s case, his 130 matches for Barcelona and Spain prior to his 18th birthday are nearly double that of the next closest player, Pau Cubarsí, who has appeared 69 times. Following Cubarsí are teammates Gavi (60 matches) and Pedri (49 matches). Comparatively, Yamal’s figures far exceed those of contemporaries at similar levels outside Barcelona and Spain.
His exceptional contributions last season earned him the prestigious 2024 Golden Boy award, which honors the best Under-21 player in Europe, despite accumulating more than 8,158 minutes of play. The previous winners have not faced such substantial workloads, raising questions about Yamal’s long-term viability if these demands persist.
Dr. Burgess emphasized the necessity for the sport to focus on nurturing young talent rather than exploiting them, stating, “For the future of the game, it’s crucial that we develop young players properly to ensure they can become the stars of tomorrow.”
n
