Kolkata: The World Cup has an extra round of knockout matches, and players are feeling the strain. Raphael Varane, who retired from international football at 29, told Canal Plus in 2023 that the highest level is like a washing machine, with no time to stop.
Virgil van Dijk, who has played 5841 minutes in one year, will be one of the players to watch in the Netherlands' first match against Japan on Sunday. Martin Zubimendi, who has also played in all 38 Premier League matches last term, has played 4920 minutes before joining Spain in the World Cup.
Declan Rice, who will start in England's midfield against Croatia on June 18, will have clocked 5004 minutes over the past year. Rice, 27, played the full match in 30 of Arsenal's 38 games on the way to the Premier League title.
Julian Alvarez, 26, will be hoping to have the legs to do the running for Lionel Messi after 3652 minutes of football for club and country. Alvarez also played the Olympics, Copa America, and the expanded Club World Cup between two World Cups.
Travel can also be a factor, with long haul flights and midweek matches making it difficult for players to cope. Darren Burgess, a high-performance consultant for FIFPRO and Juventus performance director, said that players often don't return home until 3 or 4 am after midweek matches.
The short gap between the end of European club season and the start of the World Cup could also leave players struggling to cope with the heat in a World Cup where most matches will be played in temperatures above 28 degrees Celsius.
