Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden has been described as a "victim" of football's "crazy" fixture calendar after missing out on England's squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association.

Foden was left out of Thomas Tuchel's squad for the tournament in North America following a difficult season at City, a stark contrast to the form that made him PFA Player of the Year at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

His situation was raised during a meeting of Fifpro — the global body representing professional footballers — with PFA chief executive Maheta Molango, who also sits on the Fifpro board, pointing to the relentless schedule as a key factor behind the 25-year-old's dip.

"The number of games that he's been available for has dropped and, when he has been available, it has not been the version of Phil Foden we saw two years ago," Molango said.

Molango was unambiguous about where he places the blame, arguing the calendar serves commercial interests rather than protecting players or maintaining the standard of the spectacle.

"Unfortunately, he is one of the victims of this crazy calendar that only makes sense for those pursuing commercial gain to the detriment of the quality of the spectacle and the protection of players, who should be football's heritage. It's a very sad state of affairs if someone like Phil is not on the pitch because we love players who make us dream and who have pure talent."

Rice and Van Dijk flagged as injury risks

Foden is far from the only player in Fifpro's sights. Data gathered by the organisation suggests Arsenal's England midfielder Declan Rice and Liverpool's Dutch centre-back Virgil van Dijk could face increased risk of injury or a drop in form next season as a consequence of their workloads.

Fifpro's position is that players are simply not able to sustain "high-threshold competitive seasons" year after year without eventually breaking down or declining in quality.

Both Rice and Van Dijk are expected to feature at the expanded 48-team World Cup, where some matches will be played in high temperatures — a further physical burden on players already stretched thin.

'Survival of the fittest'

Molango warned that the World Cup itself risks being reduced to a contest of endurance rather than talent, with the most gifted players at elite clubs potentially hitting a wall before the tournament reaches its decisive stages.

"There is a big chance that may be the case because some of the most talented players at the biggest clubs will reach a point where it is simply too much. You cannot go into a competition having already played 60, or close to 60, games."

His comments add significant weight to the growing chorus of voices calling for football's governing bodies to reassess the ever-expanding fixture list before the sport's most celebrated players pay an irreversible price.