With the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicking off across the United States, Canada, and Mexico in a brand-new 48-team format — the largest in history — the stakes around professional league soccer match load and World Cup performance have never been higher. Players could now face up to eight matches across multiple climate zones, time zones, and altitude levels. Against that backdrop, the question of how club-season fatigue translates to World Cup readiness isn't academic — it's exist