France players face fatigue ahead of World Cup after busy seasons

BBC Sport • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 11, 2026, 1:55 PM

Last updated Jun 11, 2026

France players face fatigue ahead of World Cup after busy seasons

Summary

As the World Cup approaches, France's squad shows the highest fatigue levels among top contenders. They have played 1,341 matches for a total of 98,895 minutes since the start of last summer. Key contributors include Maxence Lacroix and Michael Olise, with both seeing significant match time in the past year. Other nations like Portugal and England also show considerable minutes played, raising concerns about player stamina in the tournament. The impact of accumulated fatigue could influence performance during the competition.

Source Links

BBC Sport

Key Details

•France has the most fatigued squad ahead of the World Cup.
•Maxence Lacroix logged the most minutes played at 5,009.
•Portugal and England also show high match counts.
•The World Cup follows an intense schedule without sufficient rest.

Latest Updates

1:55 PMBBC Sport — Fatigue? The World Cup players with the toughest seasons

What they're saying

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BBC Sport examines which World Cup teams and players have played the most minutes since last summer, when the Club World Cup was kicking off in the United States.
— BBC Sport

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