The sight of fans collapsing in tears of joy after their team secures the World Cup. The stories of Olympic medals catapulting once-unknown athletes into national icons. For many athletes, representing their country on the international stage is the pinnacle of their playing journey—the fruits of countless hours on the field and in the weight room, finally coming to bear. Yet, this dream can quickly turn horrific. Recent cases highlight how the interests of club and international teams compete with one another, sometimes resulting in devastating consequences for the very athletes they depend on.

Just over a week ago, Bayern Munich football star and Canadian national Alphonso Davies suffered a torn ACL during the third-place match of the CONCACAF Nations League tournament against the United States. The injury itself was crushing, but it became even more controversial when Davies’ agent, Nedal Huoseh, stated that his client was not fully healthy after Canada’s prior match against Mexico. According to Huoseh, the Canadian captain—who missed the November international window due to fatigue—first planned to come off the bench before ultimately succumbing to pressures from his coach and joining the starting lineup.

While the Canadian soccer federation denied wrongdoing, the team’s decision to play their star player in a relatively meaningless game (particularly when they’ve already secured an advantageous World Cup bid as a host nation) has been questioned by fans and experts alike. Bayern’s chief executive, Jan-Christian Dreesen, has since threatened legal action against the Canadian federation, accusing the team of being grossly negligent and violating medical due diligence by sending Davies back on a twelve-hour flight to Germany without a proper medical evaluation. Ironically, Bayern themselves faced similar accusations from the South Korean national team head coach after a recent injury to another player, Kim Min-jae. Davies is now facing “several months” of recovery, potentially jeopardizing his hopes of playing in the 2026 World Cup.

These issues are not unique to football, either. In the NHL’s midseason ‘4 Nations Face-Off,’ which featured a tournament-style competition between four national hockey teams, Boston Bruins star defenseman and U.S. national team member Charlie McAvoy suffered a shoulder injury in a preliminary match against Sweden. He was given treatment and cleared by the Team USA medical staff—comprised of members of the Minnesota Wild’s medical team—playing in the following game against Team Canada. However, McAvoy developed increasing pain, and upon returning to the Bruins for further evaluation by the club’s medical staff (as opposed to that of Team USA), it was discovered that McAvoy had a shoulder infection and significant injury to his AC joint that required hospitalization.

The Bruins were publicly displeased with how McAvoy’s injury was handled, reigniting tensions between Boston and Minnesota’s medical teams (who had previously disagreed over player health). This history highlights a fundamental issue for international athletes: national teams and club teams often have separate medical staffs, each operating with entirely different priorities. While Team USA’s doctors were focused on short-term tournament success, the Bruins—who have McAvoy under contract through 2029–30—were concerned about the long-term health of their franchise cornerstone. While Team USA has faced no ramifications, the Bruins have been without a key player since February 8, a significant blow to a team whose only “fault” was allowing one of their players to compete internationally.

Club teams may not be completely without recourse when one of their players suffers an international injury. Bodies like FIFA provide insurance policies covering injuries sustained while on national team duty, awarding up to $7.5 million per case. However, such protections are far from universal. While the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) insuredplayers for the 2018 Winter Olympics, they did extend the same coverage for the 4 Nations tournament. The NHL has since informed the IIHF they will not be moving forward with their partnership for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, leaving club teams to bear the financial and competitive burden of losing players to international injury. This lack of insurance means that while clubs in some sports may receive compensation for injured players, many others are left with no course of action.

Despite mounting concerns of player burnout from players and fans alike, governing bodies continue to push for expanded schedules. FIFA is adding matches to an already congested calendar, including the upcoming 2025 Club World Cup. Meanwhile, the NBA and NFL are exploring ways to integrate international competitions into their seasons. Although leagues have resisted the idea that additional rest may reduce injury—most notably the NBA’s recent changes to their rest policies—the effects of overuse are becoming undeniable. Stars across sports have seen their rate of injury increase following a 2024 Olympics that saw many players take on an increased workload necessitated by added international games. Adding further matches and travel to an already busy schedule would seemingly only cause the rate of injury to spike further, prompting concern for the long-term health and safety of players in this current climate.

Solutions do exist for teams and players alike who want to insulate their bodies against the rigors of being both a modern international and club-level athlete, though implementation remains a challenge. The WNBA’s recent “prioritization” rules (designed to limit athletes’ offseason and international play) have faced pushback from players. Greater club discretion is needed to prevent teams from losing star talent to serious international injury without compensation, as the Bruins now face with McAvoy. Even when teams can pursue insurance claims and litigation (as in the Davies case), those measures do nothing to reduce growing player workloads or prevent the injuries in the first place—leading to athletes losing valuable years of their careers. Allegations by Davies’ agent that he was pressured into playing also underscore a need for player autonomy and discretion in deciding whether they feel healthy enough to take the field.

More immediate solutions could include an adjustment of the standard player contract (SPC) that is available in many professional leagues (and typically sanctions certain events that are deemed as high-risk to players) to explicitly preclude participation in international matches if the player is deemed medically unfit (or introducing robust return-to-play protocols). Implementing such safeguards would appear to be a necessary first step to soothing growing overuse injury concerns athletes face as they balance demanding schedules for club and country.

As sports organizations worldwide chase record viewership numbers by increasing player workloads and scheduling added matches, the divide between national sports federations and club teams has never been wider. Conflicting medical assessments, limited player autonomy, and relentless scheduling demands are pushing athletes beyond their limits, often with insufficient protection for players and clubs. The question remains: will teams and leagues learn from these contemporary lessons and adopt proactive legislative shifts to safeguard their players, or will it take a career-ending injury to a global superstar to finally force change?

Oliver Canning is a 2L at the University of Miami School of Law. He can be followed on Twitter (X) @OCanning and found on LinkedIn.