With the participation of more than 265 million athletes from 200 countries, soccer is by far the most popular sport in the world. As a highly physical and competitive sport, soccer also has one of the highest injury rates. Many injuries can sideline players for days or even weeks at a time. In fact, some of soccer’s biggest names missed FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 due to injuries.
About Injuries among Professional Soccer Players
Because of its ever-increasing speed and intensity, professional soccer players have a higher risk for injuries than do amateur players. In fact, research suggests that professional soccer players sustain 4 to 35 injuries for every 1,000 hours.
In this research, published in March 2022, researchers collected data about 11,614 injuries from all Major League Soccer (MLS) teams between 2014 and 2019.
The researchers found a number of interesting facts. Injuries occur more frequently during matches than during practice, for example.
The team of scientists also found that muscle injuries are the most common, representing up to 37 percent of injuries among male professional players. Lower extremity injuries occur more often in professional players than do injuries to the upper extremities.
These injuries most commonly affected the thigh, knee and ankle, and include muscle tears (strains) and damage of the ligaments that hold bones together (sprains). The most common types of strains include adductor strains, also known as a pulled groin muscle. Lower extremity injuries often affect the ankles and hamstrings, which are the tendons at the back of the thigh that connect the thigh muscles to the thigh bones. Injuries to the rectus abdominal muscles and bruises to the feet are also common.
Midfielders sustained most of the 9713 injuries recorded and included in the study. Forwards, defenders, and goalkeepers also sustained injuries.
Of the injuries recorded in the study, the most common included:
- Hamstring strains (12.3 percent)
- Ankle sprains (8.5 percent)
- Adductor strains (7.6 percent)
Many of these injuries prevented the players from participating – nearly 55 percent of injuries sidelined athletes for one or more days. Injured players who were benched lost an average of 15.8 days. Players with leg fractures lost an average of 120.9 days, and sat out 11.6 matches and 30.9 training sessions.
When professional soccer players sustain injuries, they receive the best care possible so that they can get back into the game as quickly as possible. This care may include physical therapy, the use of crutches or braces, or in severe injuries, surgery or even arthroscopic surgery. If you play soccer for a living or as a hobby, you deserve the best care too. Huntington Orthopedics is the leading orthopedics specialists in Pasadena, CA, and we offer the most advanced, effective, techniques to assess and treat simple and complex orthopedic injuries associated with soccer and other sports. For more information on soccer injuries, consult with the orthopedic specialists at Huntington Orthopedics.