Football is at a breaking point. If anyone doubts that, just ask Erling Haaland. Should all go to plan for the Manchester City forward during the 2024-25 campaign, his season will be 354 days long.
Ready or not, the new football season will be the longest and most physically demanding ever.
Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham -- the game's biggest stars -- could each play over 70 games between now and the official end of the season, the FIFA Club World Cup final on July 13, 2025. Real Madrid's Mbappe and Bellingham are yet to start their season -- they're on a delayed summer break because of their participation in Euro 2024 with France and England, respectively -- but Haaland's season is already underway, with the 24-year-old having played his first game in City's friendly against Celtic in the United States on July 24.