Restrictions imposed by clubs provide for health preservation and may even result in fines or contract termination
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is approaching and the spotlight of all the media is focused on the competition. The players called up have already presented themselves with their respective delegations in North America, where the championship will be held. Footballers who will not represent their countries enjoy a vacation during the FIFA Date, riding in their beautiful cars. But, by any chance, have you ever seen any news of a player riding a motorcycle?
In fact, the few news that can be found usually report accidents or expose retired players with their models, as has already happened with Ibrahimović and his Harley-Davidson V-Rod.
SEE ALSO:
The motivation for all this is simple: professional soccer players can’t ride motorcycles!
Who left this very controversial subject some time ago was striker Yuri Alberto, from Corinthians. In an interview with the PodPah podcast, the athlete commented on the rule and agreed with one of the interviewers who cited the impediment of players riding motorcycles. He also added that there are several other activities prevented by the clubs, such as cycling and going to amusement parks. Yuri said that everything is linked to the preservation of the health of athletes and the mitigation of the risk to life.
According to Dr. Bernardo Marchesini, a lawyer specializing in Sports Law, clubs really have this practice.
The professional soccer player inevitably depends on being healthy so that he can develop his profession. Such a situation makes certain precautions that other professions do not need to have fall on the players”, says the expert.
The clubs’ concern makes sense, since, statistically, motorcycles pose more risks to the health of citizens than cars. According to the Institute of Applied Economic Research (Ipea), in a 2025 survey, 60% of hospitalizations due to traffic accidents involve motorcyclists.
In the same year, the Atlas of Violence highlighted that the number of general traffic deaths fell from 21.2 to 16.2 deaths per 100 thousand inhabitants (a reduction of 23.6%). However, deaths involving motorcycles increased from 6 to 6.3 deaths per 100 thousand inhabitants (up 5%). The survey considered numbers between 2013 and 2023.
Marchesini reinforces that: “As much as it seems exaggerated, this condition is reasonable, even because it will be up to the contracting club to bear the absence of its player, in addition to other costs that injuries may bring”.
However, anyone who thinks that the restriction is limited to riding a motorcycle is wrong. Any and all activities that involve health risks can be prevented by clubs.
“The practice of so-called extreme sports, among other activities that can potentially generate injuries and bruises, such as riding a motorcycle, is restricted on several occasions. Riding a motorcycle is one of the most common situations restricted by this type of clause, but the practice of sports such as snow skiing, motor racing, equestrianism, among others, is also prohibited by the same principle: to reduce the chance of injuries and contusions by professional players”, explained the lawyer.
Michel Guerreiro, a former player famous for his time in Ceará, as well as Corinthians Yuri Alberto, has also stated on social media that: “A player cannot ride a motorcycle! At the time of signing the contract, in the final letters, it is written that it is forbidden to ride a motorcycle”. The footballer also recalls that, at the beginning of his career, in 2005, he had to sell his motorcycle when he was hired by Sport Club do Recife.
Dr. Bernardo Marchesini also says that there is no specific legislation that prohibits the practice of other activities by soccer players. The point is that the clubs’ demands come from a contractual way.
“Contracts between club and athlete, regardless of nature, have mutual obligations, as well as penalties in case of non-compliance. These punishments can range from a simple warning, to termination for cause, through fines, suspensions or others agreed between the parties.”
That is, the professional soccer player who does not comply with the rules related to the use of motorcycles and other impediments may suffer legal consequences.
A recent case of these impacts happened with striker Bruno Rodrigues, from Cruzeiro and on loan from Palmeiras. While playing for the São Paulo club, in December 2025, the athlete was fined after playing in an amateur football tournament during the holidays without prior authorization from the club.
After the episode, the player publicly apologized and even canceled his participation in another charity match to avoid further wear and tear. Verdão’s internal regulations already provided for punishments for athletes who participated in activities capable of endangering their physical integrity during the rest period.
