The international player union FIFPRO reviewed how much players are playing and star Achraf Hakimi, as a result of his and his commitments with the national team, is a player who has been under extreme physical strain.
Last season, Hakimi played 69 matches, accumulating 6,371 minutes. For reference, this was a noticeable increase from his previous season when he played 53 games for club and country, which was 4,869 minutes.
Hakimi was not alone in playing 69 games in the last campaign. Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich played the same number of matches and almost the same number of minutes, and every member of the top 10 on the FIFPRO list easily surpassed the recommended limit of 55 matches per season.
Hakimi’s 2024-25 season started in Paris representing his country at the (July 24, 2024 to August 8) and ended with with the (June 15, 2025 to July 13). This meant his season lasted nearly an entire year and his offseason was just 22 days long.
The medical consensus regarding rest period and season breaks is that players should be guaranteed four weeks between seasons with no commitments. There should also be a minimum four-week re-training period after an offseason break before starting with competition. Sadly, the two are less and less common at the highest level of modern football.
Even more games ahead
This season, Hakimi is on course, should PSG advance to the knockouts of the and Morocco do well at both the and the 2026 World Cup, to play 74 matches, which is nearly 7,000 minutes.
“People need to understand we’re not machines. To deliver the level of play fans want – intense, competitive matches – we also need time to rest,” Barcelona and France defender Jules Kounde said.
Hakimi’s situation isn’t new either. Earlier in the year, was also the subject of interest after his schedule became untenable.
Hakimi has been pushing the limits of his capacity even before he turned 21. In the FIFPRO report, one of the major fears is the lack of protection currently around young players. Constant competition demands make young players more susceptible to long-term risks than older players, highlighting the real need for safeguards.
The number of minutes Moroccan players have played before turning 21 has risen dramatically in recent years. Before Hakim Ziyech turned 21, he hadn’t even played for Morocco and had played just over 3,000 minutes at club level. Before Hakimi turned 21, he had played over 10,000 minutes for club and country. Moroccan teammate Bilal El Khannouss, who plays in the Bundesliga for Stuttgart, accumulated even more playing time before turning 21, reaching 10,628 minutes for club and country.
It’s clear Morocco have a lot of exciting young footballers, but managing their playing load will be key to managing their longevity in the game.
Hope for more action as legal battle begins
In the modern football calendar, players continue to be pushed not just to their limit but beyond it. Hakimi is one of the stars of the modern game and a leading player for not just the country of Morocco but also the continent of Africa. If his form starts to dip or injuries start to become regular, then Hakimi’s playing load will be one of the places to look.
Failure to better manage player workload is costing every stakeholder in football. against FIFA over the schedule, but if nothing changes soon then those who make the “beautiful game” possible will remain at risk.
Edited by: Chuck Penfold
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