With the FIFA 2026 World Cup in full swing, soccer fever is in the air. Watching these incredible athletes give it their all for 90+ minutes got Team JAMBAR interested in the fuel and hydration needs of elite players (and the fans cheering them on!).
The amount of energy expended by athletes during a World Cup match varies by position. Here are estimates:
⚽ Goalkeeper: 600–900 calories
⚽ Central defender: 1,000–1,300 calories
⚽ Midfielder/winger/fullback: 1,300–1,700 calories
In a match, elite players cover 10–13 km or 6–8 miles of ground. Players repeatedly accelerate, decelerate, sprint, and change direction, making soccer much more metabolically demanding than steady-pace running.
Love them or hate them (it feels like popular opinion leans toward the latter), FIFA-mandated hydration breaks made their debut at the 2026 World Cup. One thing that can’t be disputed is how much players sweat - they lose an estimated two to five pounds of water per match, even when rehydrating. This World Cup is so warm, players are sweating more than 1.5 liters per hour. Recognizing that every athlete loses a different combination of fluids and electrolytes when they sweat, the Brazil team worked with a University of Florida researcher who measured their output using sweat patches and created individualized hydration plans for each player. A study showed the Mexico team, used to playing in sticky conditions, was found to be the least sweaty, while the Europeans, and Norway in particular, are sweating the most.
Putting it together, one elite midfielder in a World Cup match in warm conditions is burning more than 1,500 calories, running 6-8 miles in just 90 minutes, and losing upwards of 2 liters of sweat. Even with consuming a liter of fluid during play, there is net dehydration of more than a liter, and an estimated 3 grams of sodium lost. The intensity of the workout makes the physical demand so high - imagine a workout where you run two 5Ks, perform 30-50 all-out sprints, complete 200-300 rapid accelerations and stops, and change direction 500-1,000 times.
If a World Cup match includes extra time, which a number of the games have, midfielders and fullbacks can hit 15–17 km or 20,000–24,000 steps.
As any fan who is cheering on their favorite team knows, watching a game can also be a workout! Here are estimated calories burned watching a 90-minute match:
⚽ Sitting quietly: 90–120 calories
⚽ Sitting while cheering and gesturing: 120–170 calories
⚽ Standing and moving around frequently: 170–250 calories
⚽ Constant pacing for most of the match: 300–450 calories
While things like calories burned can be quantified, there’s a whole other part of the beautiful game that defies measurement - its ability to make the world feel smaller. There was, of course, the love affair between Boston and the Tartan Army. And the KU band learning the Algerian National Anthem and playing it to welcome the team. And the number of foreign visitors discovering and loving American foods (especially ranch dressing and gas stations!).
Let’s not underestimate how many people can now pronounce Curaçao and even find it on a map. The magic of the World Cup doesn’t just occur on the pitch…it shows the power of sport to bring people together. There are many more incredible examples of this, but they’ll have to wait for later because there’s a game starting soon and 400 active viewing calories to burn!