The 2026 World Cup is gradually becoming a festival honoring the endurance of individuals. Thanks to medical advances, improved recovery methods and increasingly complete performance data, players are increasingly extending their careers at the highest level.
A host of legends will therefore be participating in at least their fourth World Cup at the tournament. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Guillermo Ochoa can make history by participating in their sixth World Cup.
Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul recently revealed that he had to work twice as hard as Lionel Messi in the past few months. A few hours after training with Inter Miami club, De Paul and Messi will meet again to receive personal training with a fitness coach in order to reach their peak performance before participating in the World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo has long been a supporter of extra training outside the training ground. The Portuguese star fully understands his body and adjusts the training volume to suit to maintain peak form. At the age of 41, he is proving that age is just a number.
The presence of many players who have participated in many World Cups in this tournament reflects a broader phenomenon in modern football: the increased endurance of the players.
Argentina national team fitness coach Luis Martin shared on a podcast: "Training programs are increasingly personalized for each player. Each player is different; we monitor them at the club and request reports about them.
The list of returning World Cup veterans includes Brazilian icon Neymar, South Korea captain Son Heung-min and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric.
Other familiar faces looking forward to their fourth or fifth World Cup are German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and record scorer Romelu Lukaku, Nicolas Otamendi of Argentina, Fernando Muslera of Uruguay and Yuto Nagatomo of Japan.
“I know I have participated in four World Cups, but I have never felt as nervous as I am now,” Nagatomo admitted when talking about the prospect of participating in the upcoming tournament.
Nagatomo even considered retiring from the national team after Japan was eliminated at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. However, the dramatic final between Argentina and France sparked his ambition.
In the past three and a half years, Nagatomo has faced some physical obstacles, including a right hamstring injury that forced him to be sidelined in matches against Scotland and England in March 2026. He has fully recovered and returned to play at the right time, proving that he is still capable of competing.
There have been great scientific breakthroughs in the field of training. Previously, everything was more about experience. We train based on what is familiar, not based on well-founded knowledge.
Nutrition and diet have really become more important than ever. Previously, people often said that exercise was the most important thing. However, today, it is associated with the energy that each athlete puts into their body.
Everything is meticulously planned: the calories I need after a strength training session, how I should recover and whether I need protein or not. If a specific workout has consumed a lot of glycogen in my muscles, then I know I need to increase my carbohydrate intake.
It is amazing that science is so much applied in training today. That is why players still maintain good form at the age of 40," fitness coach Javier Valdecantos shared with FIFA about the increasing number of key players who still play excellently at the age of 30 and over.
