Abstract This article focuses on the problem of fixed-time consensus tracking (FTCT) for limited-time state-constrained networked Euler-Lagrange (NEL) systems subject to the limited communication and computation capacities. To enable each follower to estimate leader information under unidirectional and intermittent communication environments, an event-based fixed-time distributed observer (FTDO) is constructed, while excluding Zeno behavior from the analysis. Subsequently, to reduce the control input update frequency and consumption, a backstepping-based adaptive event-triggered local control (AETLC) strategy is proposed, which ensures practical fixed-time convergence for all errors and eliminates Zeno behavior. Specifically, a novel limited-time constrained function with a unique shift function is developed, which is capable of uniformly handling limited-time constraint, persistent constraint, and unconstrained cases without altering the control structure. Simulation results are eventually performed to validate the suggested methodologies.