A new study has revealed that Chelsea Football Club paid a heavy physical price for their global triumph this summer, experiencing a sharp increase in player injuries following the expanded FIFA Club World Cup.
The Cost of Victory
The findings, published on Tuesday 16 December 2025 in the Men’s European Football Injury Index, show that Chelsea recorded a 44 per cent surge in injuries in the months after winning the tournament. The Blues played 64 games in the 2024-25 season and their victory in the USA in July, where they received the trophy from President Donald Trump and around $125 million in prize money, appears to have taken a significant toll.
Between June and October, Chelsea reported 23 injuries, a figure that included key man Cole Palmer. This was the highest number among the nine European top-flight clubs that participated in the newly enlarged 32-team event and marked a clear rise compared to the same period in 2024.
Minimal Overall Impact Across Europe
Despite Chelsea's struggles, the report compiled by insurance group Howden suggests the tournament has so far had a "minimal impact" on overall injury rates across the continent's elite clubs. The nine teams from England, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France together recorded 146 injuries from June to October, down from 174 the previous year.
Notably, the period from August to October saw just 121 injuries, the lowest figure for that three-month span in the Index's six-year history. The only other club with a notably high count was Manchester City, who sustained 22 injuries post-tournament.
A Warning for the Future?
The report's authors caution that it is too early for a definitive assessment, as the data only runs until October. James Burrows, Head of Sport at Howden, indicated that the true physical cost of the summer tournament may yet become apparent. "We would expect to see the impact spike in that sort of November to February period," Burrows said. "What we’ve seen previously is that’s where the impact is seen from summer tournaments."
The 2023 decision by FIFA to expand its flagship club competition was met with strong opposition from players' unions, who warned of burnout from the congested calendar. Chelsea's experience, as the champions, provides the first major case study into those concerns, highlighting the potential conflict between commercial growth and player welfare at the highest level of the game.
