World football governing body FIFA, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), is launching Suspect and Protect: No Match is Worth the Risk, a concussion awareness campaign.
The campaign in line with FIFA’s Strategic Objectives for the Global Game: 2023-2027 and following on from the announcement at The IFAB AGM in March 2024.
The campaign aims to raise awareness of the fact that concussion is a traumatic brain injury and is a risk to every player on the pitch. It has been endorsed by players, coaches and team doctors from around the world.
“Concussion is a brain injury and should always be taken seriously. Playing football should be something enjoyed safely, by everyone, everywhere,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
“By knowing the signs of concussion, by being aware of the risks, and by treating a concussion correctly, you can help to put player safety first,” he added
Infantino thanked FIFA’s member associations for their efforts in the launch and for following the advice provided by WHO colleagues.
Similarly, WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said, “Concussion is a public health issue of concern at all levels of football, and many other sports, requiring greater levels of awareness and action.
“That is why WHO is proud to team up with FIFA on the Suspect and Protect campaign to promote ways to protect the brains of footballers, young and old, around the world from the risks of concussion.”
The Suspect and Protect campaign, developed through extensive consultation with FIFA Medical and WHO brain health experts, aims to increase sign and symptom recognition among players, coaches and medical staff, as well as the general public.
The campaign highlights that symptoms may take up to 72 hours to appear and offers guidance on how to return to play safely following a suspected or confirmed concussion. These tailored resources are designed to empower national team stakeholders, professional clubs and leagues and grassroots and amateur communities.
The campaign is built upon three main action points for audiences within national teams, professional clubs and leagues and amateur and grassroots communities.
A 2015 Hollywood biographical sports drama with the same title gave more global prominence to the issue of Concussion.
The film starred US actor Will Smith as Nigerian-born Dr. Bennet Omalu, a renowned pathologist whose groundbreaking research uncovered truths about brain damage in football players who suffer repeated concussions over the course of their professional career.
