Koundé, a 26-year-old trained central defender, who has played as a right-back for several years at FC Barcelona and the French team, dominates the ranking both in terms of the number of matches played and the number of minutes actually played: 5,872, almost 300 minutes ahead of the second in the ranking, Jhon Arias of the Brazilian club Fluminense (67 matches).
The Frenchman could even reach 70 matches on Saturday if he takes part in the clash against the leader, Atlético Madrid, for the final day of the championship in 2024. The Uruguayan from Real Madrid Federico Valverde (66 matches) completes the podium.
Saliba in the top 10
Another French international is present in the top 10: defender William Saliba (Arsenal) is tenth with 59 matches. Canadian Losc striker Jonathan David (17th with 63 matches) is the first Ligue 1 player in the ranking. The French championship mobilizes less with 18 teams compared to 20 for most other leagues, which means four fewer matches in the season.
The question of calendar overload has become significant since the start of the season, with the new formula of the Champions League as well as the transformation of the Club World Cup into a competition of 32 teams next summer in the United States.
