'Obscene amount of games!' - Declan Rice blasts 'crazy' football calendar as Arsenal & England star battles nerve pain at 2026 World Cup

Rice played through discomfort in the 4-2 victory over Croatia in Group L. The 27-year-old registered an assist for Kane before being substituted in the 72nd minute. His withdrawal led to concerns after he was seen limping, raising questions over his fitness. The Arsenal star has since moved to reassure supporters, explaining that the issue has been carefully managed since December.

Rice revealed he has been dealing with nerve pain in his hamstring since the festive period while playing for Arsenal. He also claimed that his substitution was a precautionary decision, particularly given the demands of the closing stages of matches.

He told ITV Sport: "I was feeling a little bit of neural pain in my hamstring, which I was managing from after Christmas with Arsenal for a very long time. Obviously, not a lot of people would have known that, it was all behind-the-scenes stuff, but it was a smart decision.

"In the end, that last 20 minutes is probably where you pick up the most, and it’s where you play a 70‑minute match. But that last 20 is where you really feel your body going for it, and I think it was a smart decision because the last few days I felt really, really good."

The midfielder’s comments come after a demanding campaign in which he played 55 matches for Arsenal, helping the club secure a Premier League title and reached the Champions League final. Reflecting on the schedule, Rice did not hide his frustration.

"It’s an obscene amount of games, the schedule was crazy, but what can we do about it? You can’t sit and complain," he said. "We have to just get on with it for the moments like I had winning that Premier League.

"You’d play as many games as possible to have that ­feeling again and knowing that there’s a World Cup at the end of it as well. You know, you’d put your body on the line to be always in to play, it’s a lot of games, but we’ll get our break at the end."

England face Ghana in Boston on Tuesday, with a win guaranteeing progression to the last-32. Thomas Tuchel may consider rotating his squad, with Rice among those potentially in line for rest ahead of the knockout stages.