The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) have joined forces to launch a global concussion awareness campaign, “Suspect and Protect, No Match is Worth the Risk.”
This initiative aims to educate players, coaches, and medical staff about the risks of brain injuries, particularly concussion, and promote safe return-to-play practices.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasized, “Concussion is a brain injury that must be taken seriously. Playing football should be enjoyable and safe for everyone, everywhere.”
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WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus added, “Concussion is a public health issue requiring greater awareness and action.”
The campaign focuses on three key actions:
Understanding concussion as a traumatic brain injury.
Identifying concussion symptoms.
Immediately removing players with symptoms from play for medical attention.
Symptoms may take up to 72 hours to appear, and players should undergo medical evaluation within 24 hours. The campaign will be rolled out across all FIFA channels and implemented at national, regional, and local levels through toolkits provided to 211 FIFA Member Associations.
