Milestones present opportunities to reflect on past achievements and struggles, and to look towards new beginnings. On this, the 40th edition of Football Medicine & Performance, we look forward to growing the support, education and opportunities for all medical and performance staff working in football.

This publication has grown from a one-person effort, to a small editorial team, and now, to a 20-person strong multidisciplinary education team including a broad range of practitioners (see full team in later pages). We believe the integration of this team of practitioners will help to deliver higher standards of educational content, will facilitate cross-discipline connections, and improve standards of player care and performance across the sport.

COVID-19 disrupted the usual consistent season structure, and teams who found ways to adapt to this were able to make significant gains. Even more flexibility is required this season, with games postponed due to the Queen’s passing, and the upcoming World Cup set to bring a mid-season hiatus of an unusually long duration. The effective management of squads during these breaks is likely to bear fruit later in the season.

It will be a strange experience to watch this year’s World Cup in warm Qatar, while pitches at home are freezing and the evenings dark. We have focussed the theme of this edition on the World Cup, with articles on performing in the heat, recovery during fixture congestion and how to manage the transition between club and country. Importantly, we also include the player’s voice, with Egyptian international Ahmed Hegazy giving his perspective on the challenges that may come with a mid-season World Cup.

We hope you enjoy the 40th edition of Football Medicine & Performance.

Sean Carmody, Senior Editor – Andrew Shafik, Senior Editor – Fadi Hassan, Senior Editor

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