Why 98%-99% of Soccer Happens Without the Ball—And How Match-Fit® Prepares You for It

When you think about soccer, it’s easy to picture highlight-reel goals, fancy footwork, and precise passes. But here's a reality that surprises most players: the average professional spends just 1–2% of a 90-minute match actually in possession of the ball (Poli, Ravenel, & Besson, 2019). That means 98–99% of the game is played without it—a staggering stat that completely shifts how we should train.

That’s where Match-Fit® comes in.

Match-Fit® is a soccer-specific fitness app built on sports science and designed to prepare players for the full demands of the game—not just the flashy moments on the ball. Our Road Running mode uses a strategic mix of anaerobic and aerobic training to mimic the energy systems used in real matches.

Soccer is a sport of constant transitions: explosive sprints, quick cuts, relentless pressing, and rapid recoveries. To excel, players must train like they play. That’s why Match-Fit® emphasizes high-intensity interval training (HIIT)—short bursts of intense effort followed by active recovery. This method has been proven to improve sprinting ability, endurance, and recovery rates (Buchheit & Laursen, 2013; Iaia, Rampinini, & Bangsbo, 2009).

But it’s not just about running harder. It’s about training smarter.

Our AI-powered workouts are tailored to simulate real-game scenarios so that your conditioning isn’t generic—it’s game-ready. Match-Fit® helps you master the moments between touches: the press after a turnover, the sprint into space, the recovery run to cover your teammate.

Because if you want to influence the game, you have to be ready when your moment comes—and that starts with owning the 98%.