Physical match demand in the FIFA World Cup: A comparison between 2018 (Russia) and 2022 (Qatar) editions

This study aimed to evaluate the physical performance of teams in terms of running disparities between the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. The number of sprints and top speeds achieved by players in the 2022 World Cup has significantly increased compared to the 2018 World Cup. All player positions exhibited a greater distance covered during the 2022 World Cup compared to the 2018 World Cup. When examining the interaction between Cup and Outcome, only total distance (F = 5.831, p = 0.003) and distance Z1 (F = 15.488, p <0.001) showed statistical differences. These findings elucidate that more total distance was covered during draws, with higher values observed in the 2022 World Cup. Thus, the study concludes that the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup presented a higher physical match demand compared to the 2018 Russia FIFA World Cup.本研究旨在对比2018年与2022年两届世界杯的跑动数据差异，评估各参赛球队的身体竞技表现。相较于2018年世界杯，2022年世界杯参赛球员的冲刺次数与最高奔跑速度均有显著提升。所有场上位置的球员在2022年世界杯的总跑动距离均高于2018年世界杯。在分析赛事届次与比赛结果的交互效应时，仅总跑动距离（F=5.831，p=0.003）与Z1区域跑动距离（F=15.488，p<0.001）呈现统计学显著性差异。研究结果表明，平局赛事的总跑动距离更长，且该数值在2022年世界杯中更高。综上，本研究得出结论：2022年卡塔尔国际足联（FIFA）世界杯相较于2018年俄罗斯FIFA世界杯，对球员的身体竞技负荷要求更高。