Joe Rogan, like many Americans, picked up an interest in soccer when Inter Miami signed Lionel Messi. As a fitness enthusiast, he decided to take a look at that side of the sport. He was shocked.
He took to his podcast and said, “Soccer is particularly a difficult sport in terms of your cardiovascular function. Those guys are in insane shape because you have to be. The amount of strain they’re sprinting!
If you’re a long-term fan, this quote is surely going to make you chuckle.
If you’re new to the sport, listened to the podcast, or just came across this quote for the first time, you’ll surely be wondering, “How much does a soccer player run in a game?”
Let’s find out, shall we?
How Much Does a Soccer Player Run In A Game?
The first thing you should know is that physical training for soccer is to keep them in shape all year round to run.
The soccer field is the largest playing surface of any sport (outside of golf). If a player doesn’t have “thoroughbred legs,” as Mr Rogan noted, or possess an insane amount of stamina, they will lose their career faster than they earned it.
Professional soccer players can cover anywhere from 7 to 14 kilometers (4.3 to 8.7 miles) in a single game.
In comparison, players from America’s favorite sport, North American football, typically only cover 1.25 miles (around 2 kilometers) in a match. Players of America’s national sport, baseball, run less than a mile in a full game.
Soccer players are incredibly athletic.
Factors That Influence Distance Covered In Soccer
That athleticism, while important, does not mean they have to show it in every game.
Exhibition or friendly games that are low stakes don’t require much running. These are usually slow-paced, with a lot of walking and more passing.
Amateur players also do not run as much as the pros because they are still in their training phase.
Here are other factors that influence the amount of running in soccer:
Player position: A soccer team is divided into defense, midfield, and attack. The defense is usually confined to their half to protect their goal from opponents, so they do less running. Midfielders and attackers do the most running because they are responsible for the goals scored.
Tactical instructions: Sometimes, coaches require their players to do certain things on the pitch. Where a player receives instructions, for example, to remain in certain areas, that player may not run as much. This is an important factor in a player’s in-game running.
The Players Who Run The Most In Professional Soccer
Here are some players who run the most in professional soccer.
N’golo Kante
French midfielder N’Golo Kante made a career as a workhorse.
Having come from a minnow club in France to the top of the club soccer pyramid in England, the diminutive midfielder decided that the best way he would get noticed was to run. That single trait saw him grow a reputation as one of the world’s best midfielders during his prime.
He ran like hell for Leicester City, helping them to a record win — their first league title in 2016. Then Chelsea signed him to run like hell for them to win trophies, which he did.
Kante then took this running of his to the France national team, helping them to win the FIFA World Cup in 2018.
While many players struggle to cover as much as 8 kilometers — the average running distance for soccer players — Kante regularly covers between 10 and 12 kilometers every match!
James Ward-Prowse
James Ward-Prowse is one special midfielder who, unfortunately, is playing in the same era as many other special midfielders.
I’d put him in tier 3 — with tier 1 and tier 2 being midfielders whose technical and goalscoring ability stands them out.
Ward-Prowse could easily be a Tier 1 midfielder if he adds more goals to his game because he is highly rated for his work rate.
This work rate is a result of his relentless running.
Ward-Prowse always finishes a club soccer season in the top five of players with the most distance covered.n
This is added to the fact that he is one of the world’s best free-kick takers and set-piece specialists, as well as the fact that he is so physically fit that he is rarely injured.
Declan Rice
One of the special midfielders who sits a tier above Ward-Prowse is Declan Rice.
He is one of the world’s most expensive midfielders – Arsenal paid $137.5 million to West Ham United just to acquire him!
A key facet of his game is his running. Rice is a brilliant tackler, ball carrier and a brilliant interceptor.
This makes him an excellent defensive midfielder or a deep-lying playmaker who is capable of making sure that opponents’ attacks are stopped and his own team’s offense begins.
He has been compared often to Kante for his work rate. According to BBC Sport, in the 22/23 season, Rice ran a whopping total distance of 412 kilometers (256 miles), which equates to almost 10 marathons and averages out at over 11 kilometers per game!
Christian Eriksen
Before his heart attack, Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen was known for his set-piece ability, vision, and silky feet.
What many did not notice was the amount of running he did.
Eriksen would track the ball around the field, get it either by tackling opposition players or positioning himself to receive a pass and then he would release another brilliant pass to set his team’s offense going.
Many saw these elegant passes of his but rarely noticed the work he did to claim or reclaim the ball. Eriksen was recorded to cover between nine and 12 kilometers every game!
Unfortunately, he suffered a cardiac arrest and had to stay out of the game for six months. He now plays with a pacemaker, so he has had to adapt his game.
Final thoughts
If you’re a soccer player, prioritize running and exercises that help you with mobility and speed.
Your coach will look at this part of your game first before incorporating you into his tactics because execution, defense, offense, and even the ability to move the ball around by passing to your teammates all involve some form of running.
If you’re a new fan or a fan of another sport just doing research, I hope this helps clear up many misconceptions about soccer players’ athleticism.
