Carlo Ancelotti has shown his great faith in Valverde, to the point of including him in almost every Real Madrid match this season. Even when the Uruguayan international was injured, he continued to play and push through.
This had a profound impact on Valverde, leading him to achieve a legendary and rare record in world football.
The 25-year-old is the player with the most appearances in Europe this season, even surpassing all goalkeepers.
Valverde has played 6,102 minutes across 66 matches, equating to more than 101 hours of play, a record that no other player has come close to this season.
Valverde has participated in 59 matches for Real Madrid in all competitions, 56 of which he started, scoring eight goals and providing eight assists. He also played eight more matches for Uruguay in World Cup qualifiers.
What illustrates Valverde’s impressive record is that the next player closest to him in terms of minutes played is Bruno Fernandes, but the difference between them is a full 6,000 minutes!
Goalkeepers usually play the most minutes, but Valverde has broken this rule thanks to his consistency and Ancelotti’s confidence, to the point of using him in almost every position on the pitch.
Valverde’s season isn’t over yet, as he will travel with Real Madrid to the United States to participate in the Club World Cup, meaning three additional group stage matches are guaranteed, and more may follow depending on the club’s progress in the competition.
