The game of football is not just about skill and trickery; without attributes like endurance, stamina, and willpower, completing even half an hour of the game is a monumental task.
For players playing at the top level, fitness is probably the most important quality that they need to have. Footballers spend hours on the training ground and in the gym to tone their bodies to physically take the toll of playing football week in, week out.
While players have to be fit in order to play at the elite level, some players are fitter than others. Here, we look at five of the fittest players in world football right now:
#5 Antonio Valencia
There are many words to describe Antonio Valencia of Manchester United, but the word best suited for him would be – ‘beast’.
The Ecuadorian is well built and has incredible upper body strength. Valencia a physical presence on the field but also covers the ground quickly when tracking back or darting forward.
This season, the full-back has played 23 games for his club and has been one of the most important players for the Red Devils.
Valencia’s running and his tracking back ability, as well as his well-timed tackles, are very important for Manchester United. He wins 2.4 tackles per game and intercepts more than 1.5 times per 90 minutes.
The right-back is heavily built, with arms like pipes and, this season, he has barely let any man go through him while playing in United’s back four. Mourinho has become increasingly reliant on him and his performances have earned the 31-year-old a new one-year contract.
#4 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The enigmatic Swede is quite simply one of the most amazing footballers of the modern era and one of the best characters in footballing history. He is the most impressive entry in this list considering his age.
Having succeeded in every league he has played in, Zlatan is a force of nature who never gives up. Most recently, the lanky striker scored an 83rd-minute equaliser against bitter rivals Liverpool to spare his team the blushes. Playing against the best pressing team in the world and yet scoring so late is a testament to both the player’s physical ability and his mental strength.
While not as active as in his younger days, Ibrahimovic still wins more than one aerial duel per game and has scored 19 goals in 29 appearances, which is phenomenal for his age and the fact that it’s his first season in a new league.
Despite having a lanky frame and at the age of 35, the Swedish ace is going strong and the self-proclaimed “God of Manchester” should be an inspiration to teenagers and adults alike – age is not an excuse. Not only is the forward playing in the most physically demanding league in the world, he’s excelling at it. A fit athlete if there ever was one.
#3 Adam Lallana
A list of the fittest players in the world does not merely comprise of players with six pack abs or a strong frame. While Adam Lallana might not win in a fight against Valencia and may not have the perfect figure of Ibrahimovic, the England international covers a lot of ground.
The central figure in a Liverpool team that thrives on pressing (or under Jurgen Klopp, “gegenpressing”), Lallana is the engine of the Reds and covers upwards of ten kilometres every game – an incredible numeber.
Earlier this season, Lallana set a Premier League record for the season as he ran 12.5 kilometres in Liverpool’s game against Spurs at White Hart Lane. Later on, against West Ham at Anfield, he bettered that by running an astounding 13.72 kilometres and in the process setting an all-time record.
Per 90 minutes, no player covers more distance than Liverpool’s ‘Duracell battery’ and apart from that, he manages to win almost two tackles every game and has been involved in 14 goals in 19 league games.
Simply put, Lallana is a literal engine on the field and frustrates opponents by running after them for the entirety of 90 minutes. A real menace to go up against, his inclusion on this list is unquestionable.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo
Even at the age of 31, Ronaldo is a physical specimen. While the Real Madrid star might not run as much as he used to a few years ago, his physical fitness is beyond question. Jumping higher than any player in the world, counter-attacking with the pace of a panther, going into tackles with everything he’s got, Portugal’s captain is a phenomenon when it comes to fitness.
Ronaldo has evolved his game and his positioning is now the most important part of his game. The forward covers a lot of ground and has scored 18 goals this season already. He is one of the most fouled players in Spain due to his menacing presence near the box; on an average, he is fouled at least two times a game.
A beast on the field and an inspiration, Ronaldo’s healthy lifestyle and willpower to keep himself at the top of the game is certainly commendable.
#1 Alexis Sanchez
Alexis Sanchez is basically Superman – that is honestly the best way to describe him. Apart from having the ability to outrun a jungle lion, the Arsenal man recovers from injuries faster than the time it takes some people to get off their bed.
The Chilean is not the tallest of players and yet when he plays, people will take notice of him quickly. Running around the entire pitch and covering every blade of grass as well as taking shots with such ferocity, Sanchez is a freak of nature with six pack abs and a stamina level thats is not achievable even in a video game with cheat codes.
Even though he has not been Arsenal’s most active player in terms of distance covered in this season, Sanchez leads the top 5 leagues chart in terms of number of goals involved (26).
What is more impressive is that despite being a forward, Sanchez makes 1.5 tackles per game and is, like Ronaldo, one of the most fouled players in Europe.
Sanchez’s latest injury, which he suffered on an international break, was supposed to keep him out for at least a month. He played for his country during that very same period and came back to Arsenal as if it was nothing but an ant bite to him.
The word “stop” is not in his dictionary and at the peak of his career physically, Sanchez is an easy choice for the number one spot on this list.
Honorable mentions
Jordan Henderson – Another Klopp player, Liverpool’s captain has stamina that matches that of Sanchez and Lallana and is a nuisance to play up against as he pops up literally everywhere on the pitch. His game has now improved exponentially and a lot of it has to do with him always trying to be the best physically.
Dani Alves – Another player over 30, Alves has spent his entire career wreaking havoc on opposition defences with his pacy runs and tracking back skills, which can’t be achieved without hard training and top physical conditioning. He was voted into FIFA’s Team of the Year this year and at 33, is still one of the fittest defenders in the world.
Sergio Ramos – Simply the best header of the ball in world football right now, as well as a top-class centre-back, Ramos is brilliant in nearly everything he does.
