Aitana Bonmati is skipping Spain’s friendlies as concerns about scheduling overload weigh on women’s and men’s football

Women’s World Cup and Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati will miss Spain’s friendlies this month to rest. The move highlights growing concerns about pitch congestion in both women’s and men’s football.

“We have spoken to Barcelona and to Aitana and we believe she needs to rest,” Spain head coach Montse Tome said in a press conference on Thursday, according to ESPN. “The national team has always paid attention to the health of the players first. As a coaching staff, we closely monitor all players in all leagues and try to draft those who can give their best.”

Spain will play friendlies against Canada on October 25th and in Italy on October 29th.

Bonmati has had limited rest since the start of the 2022/23 season with Barcelona, ​​in which she made 37 appearances across all competitions. From Barcelona’s victory in the UEFA Women’s Champions League on June 3, they quickly moved on to the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, which began on July 20. Bonmati was a crucial part of Spain’s first-ever Women’s World Cup win, but less than a month after the final in August 2023, she played in Barcelona’s opening game of the 2023-24 season.

The midfielder played 41 games for Barcelona last season while maintaining her national team commitments. She had about a month and a half off before Spain took part in the European Championship qualifiers and the Olympics in the summer. Bonmati then remained out of action for a month before the start of the 2024/25 season and has already played five games for Barcelona.

Bonmati is the most high-profile player in women’s football to skip international games this month, but she is far from the first to struggle with the downsides of the fixture congestion. A handful of players in men’s soccer did the same this month: U.S. men’s national team star Christian Pulisic missed the second of two friendlies to manage his minutes, and Belgium’s Kevin de Bruyne skipped international duty entirely this month to to rest.

Player welfare is a growing concern in both women’s and men’s football as players struggle both physically and mentally to keep up with the unprecedentedly busy schedule. The continued growth of women’s football has led to an increase in games, including in the NWSL, where two new competitions were introduced this year – the Concacaf W Champions Cup and the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. FIFA also plans to host a 16-team Women’s Club World Cup in early 2026, one of several tournaments that would mirror men’s soccer. Clubs such as NJ/NY Gotham FC have increased their high-performing staff in response to the crowded schedule, a move that appeals to many players who fear the resources needed may not be enough to handle a crowded schedule.

In men’s football, too, the schedule is tighter than ever. FIFA’s expansion of the Club World Cup to 32 teams, the first edition of which is scheduled to take place in the United States next summer, has become a major point of contention, although the expansion of the UEFA Champions League to 36 teams has also been criticized. Clubs and players have also complained about FIFA’s decision to convert the World Cup into a 48-team competition from 2026.

FIFPRO, the global players’ union, and the European Leagues recently launched legal action against FIFA over what they say is an “untenable” fixture list, which they say was drawn up without their consultation. Players from the men’s team, including Manchester City’s Rodri, also said players were “close” to going on strike because of the conditions.