According to new statistics, Bruno Fernandes, a midfielder for Manchester United, played more football minutes last year than any other top player.

The 29-year-old Portugal international played 6,666 minutes between September 15, 2022, and September 15, 2023, according to world players’ union Fifpro.

To show the physical and mental strains elite players experience, the body examined data from 1,800 players.

It is advocating for modifications to the football schedule in order to safeguard athletes.

“Players are no longer able to handle this overload.”

Fernandes participated in 72 games for his club and nation during that time, according to the most recent data from its Player Workload Monitoring program.

In a season when they won the FA Cup, the Premier League, and the Champions League, four Manchester City players are in the top 10 in terms of appearances made.

The four players are Argentina striker Julian Alvarez (66), Switzerland defender Manuel Akanji (66), Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva (67), and Spain midfielder Rodri (68 games). Alvarez also helped his team to the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.

Marcus Rashford, the England attacker who plays for United and is Fernandes’ teammate, is also included in the top 10 with 66 appearances.

The monitoring program tracks the workloads of 1,800 top football players worldwide—1,500 men and 300 women—and was developed in collaboration with data business Football Benchmark.

Misa, a 24-year-old goalkeeper for Real Madrid and Spain, played 4,722 minutes in the allotted period, more than any other female player. Stina Blackstenius, a 27-year-old attacker for Arsenal and Sweden, played the most consecutive games (35).

Real Madrid and Brazilian striker Rodrygo played the most consecutive games (54 total) in the men’s competition.

The most recent information comes after a Fifpro analysis from the summer that stressed the importance of shielding players from “dangerous levels of fixture congestion”.

Furthermore, it coincides with a warning from Premier League managers on the effects of an intense schedule on their players, since barely six weeks into the new season, elite clubs are facing extensive injury lists.

“Players are no longer able to handle this overload,” said Erik ten Hag, the manager of Fernandes’ team.