At just 18 years old, Lamine Yamal has already played almost double the matches held by Xani, Iniesta or Fabregas at the same age! “This does not mean taking care of the players!”
Article by Aurelian Botezatu – published Tuesday, October 7, 2025, 09:31 / Updated Tuesday, 07 October 2025 09:42
Lamine Yamal (18 years old), the player of Barcelona, pays the note for the many matches that the footballers at the dispute at the present time.
Football devounces its stars. This is the conclusion reached by FIFPRO, the International Trade Union of the players, based on a report on the volume of work of the footballers.
Lamine Yamal has 130 matches and 9,772 minutes at professionals, at only 18 years old!
The most shocking case is of Lamine Yamal. At just 18 years old, the extreme of Barcelona played 130 professional matches and 9,772 minutes, almost double in Iniesta, Xavi or Fabregas at the same age!
He played 31% more minutes than Jude Bellingham (now at Real Madrid) when he was 18, and then the English was already considered an extreme case. The conclusion of the FIFPRO report: Today's young footballers accumulate twice more minutes as previous generations!
Hansi Flick: “This does not mean taking care of the players”
The extreme of Barcelona is currently unavailable. He was injured at the Spanish national team in September, then recurred at the club. It will stay on the cough for three weeks and it is not known if you can play for Catalans in El Clasico, on October 21.
After Lamine's return from the national team, the coach of Barcei, Hansi Flick, commented: “It's a sin. He went to the national team with pain, he played … That doesn't mean to take care of the players“But the coach Luis from Fuente said he was not interested in what Flick says and defended those in the medical staff of the representative.
Federico Valverde, 72 matches in 2024 – 2025, of which 81 percent consecutive!
Federico Valverde is another extreme case. In season 2024/25, Real Madrid's midfielder played 72 matches and 6,676 minutes, more than anyone else. 81% of these were “consecutive”, that is, with less than five days of rest! He played at maximum intensity every three or four days, for months. Doctors agree: this rhythm is not sustainable.
Sometimes no one asks players what they think about adding more games, so maybe our opinion doesn't matter. But everyone knows what we believe. Everyone's tired
Alisson Becker, Portar Liverpool
