My Football Facts ⇒ Articles

14th December 2023

Soccer, football, the beautiful game, or whatever you call this sport, there is no doubt that it is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, sport in the world that boasts millions of players and fans worldwide. Soccer is very popular because it is a simple, fun, and healthy activity considered safer than other sports, such as Basketball, Rugby, and American Football.

However, this does not mean sports injuries do not occur in soccer. Soccer injuries occur whether a player plays recreationally, competitively, or professionally, and there are severe soccer injuries, which can take months to heal, and minor injuries, which can take days or weeks to heal.

Because soccer is a contact sport, around 75% of the injuries are contact injuries, and 25% are non-contact. Typically, contact injuries are acute, meaning they happen suddenly during the impact. In contrast, non-contact injuries result from dysfunction in the body, leading to overuse until a specific body part can no longer take it and gets injured, usually in tears or sprains.

Both types of injuries are more common now than ever before, and it seems like every week, there is news of the best professional soccer players in the most prestigious competitions in the world, such as the UEFA Champions League and Premier League, getting injured and having to sit out for months.

For example, one of the biggest English professional football clubs, Chelsea, might face a relegation battle, and one of those reasons is due to having a lot of key players injured. Many injuries have also led to essential players missing out on international competitions like the World Cup.

Soccer-related injuries take away some of the beauty of the beautiful game, and understanding these statistics can reveal crucial insights as to how to prevent soccer injuries.

Image by Yogendra Singh

Importance of Understanding Sports Injury Data

Understanding or at least being aware of common soccer injuries is beneficial for any coach, player, or soccer enthusiast. The analysis of injury data provides valuable insights into the prevalence, types, and severity of injuries, which is crucial for injury prevention and player management. The following points highlight the significance of observing such data.

Risk Factors Contributing to Soccer Injuries

Many risk factors contribute to how long the injury lasts and how fast the injury heals. These are some of the most crucial risk factors to remember when dealing with a potential sports injury.

Most Common Sports Injuries Among Soccer Players

Due to the nature of soccer, a contact sport played with the feet, most soccer injuries are to the lower extremities and head. However, some upper extremity injuries can also occur, although they mainly affect goalkeepers.

Must-know Soccer Injury Statistics

Now that you better understand why it is essential to look over soccer injury data, let’s go over specific soccer injury facts from around the world.

• There are an estimated 400,000 soccer-related injuries every year. (source)
• About 75% of soccer-related injuries are to the lower extremities, mainly ankle and knee injuries. (source)
• Knee injuries account for nearly 25% of all soccer injuries. (source)
• Head injuries, specifically concussions, account for 22% of all soccer injuries (source)
• Hamstring injuries account for nearly 12% of injuries. (source)
• Overuse injuries are related to about 40% of all soccer injuries. (source)
• Epidemiology studies indicate that professional soccer players sustain about 4 to 35 injuries per 1000 hours of game exposure. (source)
• Match injuries, which occur during competitive games, have a 4.1 times higher chance of occurring than injuries during team training and practice. (source)
• The estimated injury incidence rate for elite adult female soccer players is 19.5 injuries per 1000 hours playing during competitive games and 3.1 injuries per 1000 hours during training. (source)
• The overall injury incidence rate in collegiate soccer players is 8.51 injuries per 1000 hours of playing (Source)
• Female soccer players are