FIFA has always been in the forefront among other international sporting bodies when it comes to improve player’s health globally by setting standards in clinical care and governance, building a worldwide football medicine community, conducting and facilitating impactful research and education, and promoting equity and diversity in access to football medicine knowledge. Safeguarding player’s welfare, FIFA has introduced 11 health and medical strategic objectives. By establishing clear evidence-based policies, protocols and oversight mechanisms, FIFA has set up medical governance standards in football.

A standardized player health surveillance strategy has been developed by involving all the stakeholders to discuss key challenges and facilitate data-sharing and high-quality research. Football has been promoted as a health intervention, particularly in the areas of physical health, mental health and social development. The game enhances cardiovascular fitness, builds muscle strength, improves coordination and supports healthy weight management, hence contributing to the prevention and management of non communicable diseases. Football also plays a significant role in improving mental health by reducing stress and anxiety. To disseminate knowledge they have produced educational resources on both injury prevention and health management for players, coaches and health professionals. FIFA has also promoted the global implementation of protocols through dedicated programs and also through free, centralized online portal that serves as the hub for football medicine research, guidelines and best practices, facilitating open-access research, collaboration and data-sharing.

To enhance player’s health across all levels of football, FIFA actively supports its Member Associations and the confederations by providing strategic guidance, funding and education, as well as by standardizing medical policies. Longitudinal studies, medical tracking, data analysis and collaboration with experts in sports medicine, epidemiology and other health and medical specialties have been developed to understand the long-term health effects of football participation. FIFA ensures world-class medical care at each of its tournaments, protecting player welfare at all levels. FIFA competitions provide a global platform to promote health initiatives that leave a lasting impact beyond the tournament itself. By leveraging the visibility of major events, such as the FIFA World Cup™, the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ and FIFA youth tournaments, they are able to create long-term health programs that benefit players, fans and host communities. FIFA plays a crucial role in safeguarding player health by incorporating medical expertise into rule-making processes and shaping the sport’s future with safety-first policies. Through these 11 strategies FIFA aims to ensure keeping the 11 on the field safe and also to promote health in the wider football community.