Otamendi leaves rivals envious, Benfica captain pulls off remarkable feat | OneFootball

Nicolás Otamendi is in his sixth season with Benfica, and at 37 years old, the central defender shows no signs of slowing down. The captain of the "encarnados" has started in all official matches of this new season, being the only player in Bruno Lage's squad to have played every possible minute with the eagle on his chest.

In total, there are five players who have been present in all eight official matches for Benfica, but none of them, except for the Argentine, played the entirety of the games. This group includes Enzo Barrenechea, Richard Ríos, Amar Dedic, and Fredrik Aursnes, who were substituted at some point.

This data is not surprising for Otamendi. The veteran has been an undisputed starter for Benfica, being a player who ensures physical availability, as was evident last season. Proof of this is the fact that the defender hasn't taken extended vacations, having been without a break since the summer of 2023, when he went two months without competing.

During the 2024/2025 season, Nicolás Otamendi racked up an impressive 5,988 minutes on the field, split between Benfica and the Argentina national team. In the current season, the central defender has totaled 720 minutes in the eight matches played with Benfica.

In addition to a permanent spot in Benfica's defensive line, Otamendi's excellent form continues to earn him a place in the Argentina national team. The player was once again called up to the reigning World Champion team, being part of Scaloni's squad for the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, against Venezuela and Ecuador, held on the fifth and ninth of September, respectively.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.