The rising number of injuries to top soccer players cost teams in Europe’s leading leagues nearly $800 million last season, according to a report released on Tuesday.

As concerns grow over the heavy match schedules players face, the Men’s European Football Injury Index reported a total of 4,123 injuries in the top divisions of England, Spain, Germany, Italy, and France during the 2023-24 season.

The financial impact of these injuries was calculated based on the players’ reported salaries and the time they were sidelined.

The report highlighted a greater strain on clubs as a result of the newly expanded Club World Cup, which will be staged in America next year.

The number of injuries has risen year-on-year since the index was first published in 2021 and the latest report said “it would be fair to expect a continuation of this upwards trajectory.

“The squad depth of clubs will continue to be tested, particularly with the impending introduction of the new FIFA Men’s Club World Cup in 2025.”

The index, compiled by sports insurance firm Howden, was released just a day after a players' union and European leagues filed a formal complaint with the European Union against FIFA, the world governing body.

The expanded 32-team Club World Cup, an increase from seven teams, has faced ongoing criticism over concerns about player welfare since the announcement of its new format last year.

Last month Man City midfielder Rodri said players were close to going on strike in the face of increased demands on them — including an expanded Champions League this year. The Spain international suffered a season-ending knee injury days after those comments.

The football index has tracked a rise in injuries even before the expanded Club World Cup and Champions League.

It said there had been 14,292 — excluding COVID-19 — in the top five European leagues dating back to the 2020-21 season. That came at a cost of $2.5 billion based on the reported salaries.

Last season alone the figure was $798 million.

On average there was an injury every 92 minutes of football involving teams across those leagues.

It found that German teams suffered the most injuries per game (1.72). German teams also made up the top 13 places in terms of injury susceptibility and accounted for 15 of the top 20.

Of the teams least susceptible to injury, the top four were all from the French league.

The report said there was a “concerning trend” surrounding players under the age of 21, who were sustaining an increase of severe injuries.