August 9 – Ahead of the football final between the United States and Brazil, American manager Emma Hayes has called on a review of the Olympic football tournament, citing player welfare.
At a news conference, Hayes said: “I think long-term potentially they (should) look at that calendar and considering there are Olympic games in LA in a few years’ time, to maybe adapt that schedule or think about that and give more time. Player welfare should always come first.”
To reach the Parc des Princes and a blockbuster final against Brazil’s Marta, the United States have played five games in the space of 13 days with two rest days between each match. The final will make it six matches in the space of 17 days, with an extra rest day for both finalists. The Brazilians, twice silver medal winners, faced the same gruelling schedule on the road to the French capital.
Hayes echoed the sentiments of US captain Lindsey Horan who highlighted how ‘hard’ the sequence of matches is.
“This tournament is such a unique, unique experience. You don’t know it unless you’re in it. And the cadence of a game every two days is really difficult. And, you know, we’ve played a lot of minutes and I think it’s the mentality. It’s that mental strength, but you’re suffering,” said Horan.
In search of a fifth gold medal for the US, Horan added: “It’s accepting that and knowing that we’re going to go out and everyone’s prepared mentally and physically to go out and grind out another game.”
In May, FIFA released the new international match calendar for women that will come into force in 2026 and reduced the number of international windows. At the same time, the world federation was criticised for not enforcing mandatory rest periods. FIFA has confirmed the launch of a Women’s Club World Cup but has not identified its place in the calendar.
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