Football has become a true marathon, and no one embodies that better than Fede Valverde. In a sport that now stretches across nearly eleven months a year, few players have pushed their limits like the Uruguayan midfielder. With 72 matches under his belt, 65 with Real Madrid and seven with Uruguay, Valverde has clocked a staggering 6,116 minutes on the pitch this season.

Only three games escaped his boots all season: league fixtures against Girona and Betis, and a Copa del Rey match versus Real Sociedad. Even when starting on the bench, like against Celta Vigo, Rayo Vallecano, Leganés, or Bolivia, he came on to contribute. His reliability and endurance have made him one of the most consistent and indispensable players in world football.

In terms of games played, however, Luka Modric edges him out. The Croatian veteran has played 73 total matches, 63 for Madrid and 10 for Croatia, making him the club’s appearance leader. Yet when it comes to minutes on the pitch, no one beats Valverde, not just in Spain, but globally.

The next closest player is Bruno Fernandes, trailing by more than 300 minutes, followed by AC Milan’s goalkeeper Maignan. La Liga is also represented in the top 14 by Oblak (5,190 minutes) and Pedri (4,611).

Meanwhile, Real Madrid has broken its own record for most matches played in a single season, reaching 68 games despite falling to PSG. That beats the previous club best of 66 games in 2001-02 and comes just one short of Chelsea’s all-time European record of 69 matches in 2012-13.

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