Non-stop football: Top stars face grueling schedule until World Cup 2026
Thomas Tuchel is worried. Tuchel, the new coach of the England men’s national football team, is concerned that his players will be burned out by the time they arrive in North America next summer for the 2026 World Cup. “I am not so concerned about the number of games the players play in total,” Tuchel said. “I am more concerned that they never have a real break of three to four weeks.”
Tuchel is not the first to raise the issue. Last year, FIFPro, the international players union, made its feelings known about the demands placed on athletes in the men’s game, echoing concerns expressed by a range of players — including Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Rodri — about the lack of breaks from the physical demands of competitive matches.
It will be worse for some than others Take Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson. He has been out injured since February but is expected to be available again soon.
It is unlikely that he will play every game possible and also that Chelsea and his national team, Senegal, will go the distance in every competition they are in, but if they did, he could theoretically be involved in more than 100 matches from now to the end of the 2026 World Cup.
Live Events
Paris St.-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi could be in a similar position. His most recent significant break from action came last summer — about a month between a couple World Cup qualifying matches for Morocco and the start of preseason with his club.
He is unlikely to have another lengthy breather from top-level action for over a year, with club and international commitments filling his calendar well into the 2026-27 campaign if Morocco qualifies for the 2026 World Cup. He could also surpass 100 games in the 475 days from now to the World