Published on 12/6/2026
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Last update: 08:08 (Mecca time)
Before the start of the 2026 World Cup, players are not only facing the challenges of competition, but many of the stars of the major teams are entering the tournament burdened with the burdens of a long and unprecedented season, extending across the continental championships and the Club World Cup, which has raised increasing concerns about the impact of fatigue on their levels during the global event.
According to a study conducted by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), based on the total minutes played by players of the top ten teams in the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) world rankings since June 15, 2025, the date of the start of the expanded version of the Club World Cup, the French team arrives at the World Cup as the most exhausted among the top candidates.
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France is in the lead
French national team players played 1,341 matches for a total of 98,895 minutes during the last year, which is the highest number among the major teams.
Defender Maxence Lacroix tops the list of Rooster players in terms of the number of starting matches and minutes, having participated in 58 starting matches and playing 5,009 minutes, while Bayern Munich striker Michael Olisey recorded the largest number of appearances with 65 matches, including 12 matches in which he came on as a substitute.
France’s list also included 11 players who participated in the Club World Cup, the same number recorded by Portugal, while Germany excelled by having 12 players who participated in the tournament held last summer.
Portugal and England are behind France
Portugal ranked second in terms of total physical loads, after its players played 1,299 matches for a total of 96,405 minutes.
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitinha participated the most, after playing 66 matches and contributing to his team reaching the Club World Cup final and winning the Champions League, while Cristiano Ronaldo participated as a starter in all 44 matches with Al-Nasr Saudi Arabia and the Portuguese national team.
England came in third place, with its players playing 1,304 matches, amid concerns about fatigue that might affect captain Harry Kane, who participated in 63 matches with Bayern Munich and the Three Lions national team.
As for Morgan Rogers, he was the most active player among the English, having played 64 matches for a total of 5,037 minutes.
Brazil and Argentina are less affected
In contrast to France and Portugal, Brazil and Argentina appear to be in a relatively better position in terms of physical loads.
In the Brazilian national team, Vinicius Junior played the largest number of matches with 67, while Flamengo defender Leo Pereira topped the minutes list with 5,559 minutes.
As for the Argentine national team, the defending champion, it includes only 4 players who exceeded the barrier of 50 starting matches during the same period, most notably Palmeiras striker Jose Manuel Lopez, who participated in 76 matches, including 59 starting matches.
Enzo Fernandez also played 5,173 minutes, while Lionel Messi enters the tournament after participating in only 51 matches, 3 of which were a substitute.
Portugal is the most depleted in the starting lineup
When focusing on the expected starting lineups, Portugal tops the list, as it includes five players, each of whom played more than 50 starting matches during the past 12 months.
France came second and England third, while the Netherlands advanced to fourth place despite ranking ninth in terms of total minutes for all team members, which indicates its greater reliance on a specific group of players.
Van Dijk is most vulnerable to fatigue
Netherlands national team captain Virgil van Dijk tops the list of players most physically exhausted before the World Cup.
The Liverpool defender played 5,661 minutes with his club and his country during the last season, surpassing all players participating in the tournament, after he started in all 64 matches without coming on as a substitute in any of them.
The top ten list also includes 3 players from Belgium, namely Thibaut Courtois, Hans Vanaken, and Brandon Michaeli, although the Belgian national team does not occupy an advanced position in terms of the total minutes of its players.
On the other hand, no French player appears in the top ten, while the German and Spanish teams have limited representation in advanced positions, which may give them a relative advantage in terms of physical readiness before the start of the competitions.
