Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji has joked he may have to retire at 30 because of the relentless fixture schedule.
Akanji – who is 29 – has played 127 games for club and country since joining City two years ago this month.
The Switzerland centre-back has made seven appearances this season, including the Community Shield and two in the Nations League, having played his final game last season on 6 July when England knocked his country out of the European Championship.
Akanji will be part of the City team who open their campaign in the expanded Champions League against Inter Milan on Wednesday, a repeat of the 2023 final.
It is one of eight first-phase games – with City facing Sporting Lisbon, Juventus and Paris St-Germain among others – which could be followed by a play-off, even before the last 16 begins.
City will also compete in the 32-team Club World Cup in the United States, which ends on 13 July, just four weeks before the likely start date of the 2025-26 Premier League campaign, which will be followed by the World Cup.
“It’s so tough,” said Akanji.
“You don’t just think about this season – but also next season. Let’s say we win the league or cup, then go to the final of the Club World Cup; the Community Shield is three weeks after. So when do we have holidays?
“There are no breaks in winter, so if we are lucky we get two weeks and then we need to be back and into next season.
“Then the next summer it’s the World Cup. There’s no end to it.”
Akanji’s comments will strike a chord with the Professional Footballers’ Association, who are threatening legal action against world governing body Fifa for an alleged refusal to negotiate over the Club World Cup.
The Premier League has also joined the legal action, amid a view that has been articulated in private that Fifa want the major domestic leagues in Europe to be reduced to a uniform 18 teams.
“It’s just game after game and I don’t know how it will work out over the next couple of years,” Akanji continued.
“You can’t just keep adding game after game and assume everything will be like it was. You have to think about the players as well.
“At some point you’ll be too tired to play any more games.
“And then come injuries, definitely. We train as hard as possible and we are fit – but there has to be a limit.
“Maybe I’ll retire at 30!”