Taller, faster, older: How top footballers' bodies have changed over 50 years
Summary
Over the past 50 years, top football players have become taller, leaner, and faster. Changes in training, medicine, and playing style have made the game quicker and more physically demanding than before.Key Facts
- A famous 1970 Brazil World Cup goal took over 30 seconds, while a similar 2022 Argentina goal took just 12 seconds.
- Expert Dr. Orlando Laitano says modern players differ biologically from older generations.
- Players in English top football leagues grew more than 4 cm taller on average from 1973 to 2013.
- Modern players tend to be taller and leaner with long limbs, adapting to better pitches and higher physical demands.
- In the 1970s, muddy pitches required players to be more muscular; now lighter, thinner shapes excel.
- Many players in the 2022 World Cup sprinted faster than 35 km/h, compared to rarely breaking 30 km/h in earlier decades.
- Modern players sprint repeatedly during matches, unlike past strikers who conserved energy for brief bursts.
- The changes result in football becoming a faster and more intense contest for every part of the playing field.
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