While I’m an avid sports fan, I don’t know the first thing about soccer. Well, I understand the basics of the actual game, just not who is who on the world stage. So, I had to do a little research on who the high-profile athletes are in the 2024 FIFA World Cup.
Since soccer is the world’s most popular sport, you can say these are the most famous people in the sports world. ESPN put together a list of the top 50 soccer players in this year’s World Cup, and topping the list is Argentina’s Lionel Messi.
While Messi is said to have ball handling skills second to none, there was some talk at the beginning of the World Cup that speculated he wasn’t ready physically for the competition.
“(Messi) has arrived at the World Cup tired, the damage is already done and it’s irreversible,” said Argentina’s fitness coach Fernando Signorini had said in an interview with the Catalan magazine Sport. But the team doctor, Donato Villani, begged to differ:
“The 23 players are in optimum condition,” Villani said in a media statement.
The team’s fitness coach said that too much was expected of Messi physically.
“(The organizers) worry about the doping controls, but not if players play 70 matches a year,” said fitness coach Signorini.
Even the world’s most elite athletes have their physical limits. So, what do elite soccer players do to get into top shape? Well, besides finding some raw video of teams training with basic cardio and calisthenics for the World Cup, I came across a very cool training video from the people who make the TRX Suspension Training gear. My interest has peaked in the TRS Suspension, and I’m “secretly” hoping it may be a part of my Father’s Day weekend:
For more soccer training tips check out these videos:
Soccer Performance Training (Running)