REVIEW article
Front. Sports Act. Living
Sec. Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation
Volume 7 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fspor.2025.1643789
This article is part of the Research TopicAdvancements in Injury Rehabilitation and Return-to-Sport PracticesView all articles
Sports Injuries in Elite Football Players: Classification, Prevention, and Treatment Strategies Update
Provisionally accepted
- 1Department of Physical Education and Military Training, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
- 2Department of Sports Science, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
- 3Department of Physical Education, Kunsan National University, Gunsan-si, Republic of Korea
- 4Faculty of Physical Education, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
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Elite football players are particularly vulnerable to sports injuries due to the demands of high-intensity training and competition, which negatively affect their athletic careers and the economic interests of their clubs. Currently, the structural classification of injury scenarios and types in football remains unclear, hindering players' understanding of injuries and the implementation of effective preventive measures. This study aims to refine the structural classification of football-related injuries and update the corresponding scenarios, prevention strategies, and treatment approaches for general sports injuries, degenerative injuries, and accidental injuries. Researchers screened relevant literature from PubMed, SportDiscus, and Google Scholar databases from May 2000 to May 2025. For general sports injuries, skeletal muscle injuries (muscle fiber injuries, tendon injuries) can be prevented through eccentric strength training, while joint injuries (ligament injuries, muscle imbalances) require a focus on neuromuscular control training. Degenerative injuries necessitate systematic treatment, and surgical intervention should be adopted, when necessary, followed by a personalized rehabilitation program. Accidental injuries (concussions and fractures) can be mitigated using protective gear, rule modifications, and enhanced safety measures education. This article emphasizes the importance of a structured classification system for injury prevention and differentiated treatment strategies for elite football players. This will provide a theoretical basis for establishing clear understanding among individual athletes and reducing the occupational risk of injury in football.
Keywords: hamstring injury, Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, Tendon injury, JointSprain, Muscle imbalance, degenerative injuries, concussion, Fracture
Received: 09 Jun 2025; Accepted: 26 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zeng, Ji, Shi, Liu and Ji. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Wenduo Liu, Department of Sports Science, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
Weiping Ji, Department of Physical Education and Military Training, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
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