| Physical Characteristics and ACL Injury Incidence in Professional Football (Soccer) Players: A Descriptive Study |
| Paper ID : 1487-SPORTCONGRESS |
| Authors |
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Hossein Abbasi1, Niloufar Qasemi2, Mohammad Hossein Alizadeh *3 1Department of Sport Injuries and Biomechanics, Faculty of Sport Sciences & Health, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran 2Department of physical Education and Sports Sciences, University of Farhangian Hashemi Nezhad mashhad 3Department of Sport Injuries and Biomechanics, Faculty of Sport Sciences & Health, University of Tehran |
| Abstract |
| Football, as the most popular sport in the world, is associated with a high risk of injury, particularly anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiological patterns and anthropometric and descriptive characteristics of professional football players in major European leagues (England, Spain, Italy, Germany, France) and the Iranian Premier League during the 2023–24 season. Data were collected through a review of injury reports from the reputable website Transfermarkt and verified through official news sources. A total of 54 ACL injuries were recorded, with the highest number reported in the German Bundesliga (12 cases) and the Iranian and Spanish leagues (11 cases each). Findings indicated a relatively strong positive correlation (r = 0.76) between the average age of the leagues and the incidence of ACL injury. Moreover, players with higher age and body mass index (BMI) were more susceptible to injury. Although the correlations between age, height, and body mass with injury occurrence were not statistically significant (p > 0.05), the overall trend confirmed an increased risk of injury with advancing age and training load. The results highlight the importance of monitoring older players, designing targeted training programs, and developing data-driven preventive mechanisms. |
| Keywords |
| Football (Soccer), Anterior Crutiate Ligament (ACL), Injury (Injuries), Epidemiology |
| Status: Abstract Accepted (Poster Presentation) |
