December 19 – FC Barcelona defender Jules Kounde has emerged as the most used outfield player in world football, according to the latest CIES Football Observatory report. The French international clocked a remarkable 5,872 minutes across 69 matches, demonstrating both his consistency and importance for club and country.
Fluminense’s Colombian John Arias (5,599 minutes) and Real Madrid’s utility midfielder Federico Valverde (5,573) are hot on his heels.
The next three places are occupied by players over 30: Dutchman Virgil van Dijk (33.4), Argentina’s Nicolas Otamendi (36.8) and Switzerland’s Granit Xhaka (32.2).
Alongside Van Dijk, Arsenal’s William Saliba (5,264 minutes) and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes (5,151 minutes) are the most used players in the Premier League.
From Major League Soccer, Los Angeles FC’s Denis Boanga earned recognition as the most used player, reflecting his key role in MLS action this season.
The report highlights the workload balance among the 100 most used outfield players worldwide. 73.2% of their minutes were spent in domestic club competition, emphasizing the intensity of the league season.
The remaining minutes were split almost equally between international club competition (15.1%) and national team duties (13.4%), including appearances at major tournaments such as the Olympic Games.
Cound’s monumental tally highlights not only his reliability, but also the increasing physical demands placed on modern players as the football calendar becomes increasingly crowded. As domestic and international competitions vie for priority, the ability to balance performance and recovery has never been more critical.
FIFA’s expanded and restructured Club World Cup is set to add yet another fitness challenge for the world’s elite players, building their football calendar into the off-season. Despite FIFA’s interest in competing in the UEFA Champions League, it remains to be seen how teams respond to the tournament.
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