Professional football has always been a physically demanding job, but as competition organisers push to “supersize” tournaments and add new ones many elite level players say they are close to breaking point.
For the England and Spain teams heading into the Euro 2024 final, the impact of these demands could be crucial, as players who have just finished intense club seasons risk burnout while playing for their countries.
During the group stages, England manager Gareth Southgate said members of his team could not play at the desired intensity because of their “physical condition”. Last month players launched legal action against Fifa, the sport’s governing body, over its plan to expand the Club World Cup, saying the calendar was becoming “overloaded and unworkable”.