The Most Common Soccer Injuries

Soccer is a fast, physical game that places heavy demands on the legs, particularly the hamstrings, groin, knees and ankles. Sprinting, sudden changes of direction, tackling and repetitive kicking all increase injury risk, especially when fatigue or workload spikes are involved. While many soccer injuries are common and well recognised, the good news is that most can be treated effectively and many can be prevented with the right approach.

This blog is written by Kam Bhabra, Senior Sports Physiotherapist at Lilyfield Physiotherapy. Kam has over 20 years of clinical experience and spent six years working with Arsenal Football Club as Head Academy Physiotherapist. He is also a qualified soccer coach and former semi-professional player in the UK, giving him first-hand insight into the physical demands of the game.

Drawing on his elite-level experience, day-to-day clinical practice, and the latest data, this guide explains the most common soccer injuries in adults and young players, why they occur, and what players can do to recover well and reduce their risk of future injury.

Quick Summary

Adults

• Hamstring strain or tear – the most common muscle injury in soccer, often linked to sprinting and fatigue
• Adductor or groin strain – related to repeated kicking and change of direction
• Quadriceps or rectus femoris strain – front-of-thigh injury during kicking or high-speed running
• Lateral ankle sprain – rolling the ankle inward during tackles, landing or cutting
• Medial or high ankle sprain – twisting injuries affecting the inner or upper ankle
• Knee ligament injury (including ACL) – occurs with sudden deceleration or direction change
• Meniscus or cartilage injury – twisting injury with the foot planted
• Contusions (corks) to thigh, shin or foot – direct impact injuries from contact
• Calf strain or Achilles tendon pain – overload from sprinting and repeated accelerations
• Hip and groin-related pain (athletic pubalgia) – load-related pain from cutting and kicking

Children and Adolescents

• Ankle sprain – the most common acute injury in youth soccer
• Knee sprain (including ACL and other ligaments) – more common in older adolescents
• Thigh strains (hamstring or quadriceps) – increases with speed and intensity in teens
• Groin or adductor strain – often linked to rising training loads
• Shin contusions and bruises – common contact injuries despite shin guards
• Osgood-Schlatter disease – growth-related pain just below the knee
• Sever’s disease – growth-related heel pain during running and jumping
• Bone stress injuries – linked to rapid workload increases and poor recovery
• Concussion – from collisions, falls or ball impact
• Upper limb fractures and sprains – wrist, forearm, shoulder or finger injuries from falls or goalkeeping

What are the Most Common Soccer Injuries in Adults?

These reflect common patterns seen in large studies and clinical practice, especially in lower-limb injuries (López-Valenciano et al., 2020; Verhagen et al., 2025).

Hamstring Strain or Tear

• What it feels like: sudden pain at the back of the thigh, often during sprinting, accelerating or stretching for the ball.
• Why it happens: high-speed running load, fatigue, strength deficits and previous hamstring injury. Hamstring strains remain one of the most frequent injuries in football and continue to be a major problem across the sport (Bengtsson et al., 2023).
• Common mistake: returning when you can jog, but cannot tolerate repeated sprints or hard deceleration.
• What good rehab includes: sprint exposure progressions, eccentric hamstring strength, and return-to-play criteria based on function, not just time (Perna et al., 2025).

Adductor or Groin Strain

• What it feels like: pain on the inside of the thigh or groin, worse with cutting, kicking, side-steps or getting out of the car.
• Why it happens: repeated kicking and change of direction, reduced hip strength and spikes in workload.

Important note: groin pain can come from multiple structures (adductors, hip joint, lower abdominals). Getting the source right matters.

Quadriceps or Rectus Femoris Strain

• What it feels like: front-of-thigh pain, often during kicking or sprinting.
• Why it happens: high kicking volume, speed work spikes and fatigue.

Lateral Ankle Sprain

• What it feels like: rolling the ankle inwards, pain and swelling on the outside.
• Why it happens: landing on someone’s foot, quick cuts, uneven contact.
• Why it recurs: previous sprain is one of the strongest predictors of another sprain unless balance and control are retrained (Delahunt et al., 2019).

Prevention tip: balance and hopping drills, plus sport-specific change-of-direction progressions.

Medial Ankle Sprain or Syndesmosis (High Ankle) Sprain

• What it feels like: pain more on the inside of the ankle or above the ankle joint, often worse with twisting.
• Why it matters: syndesmosis injuries can take longer and need careful progression.

Knee Ligament Injury (Including ACL)

• What it feels like: a pop, giving way, swelling or instability with turning.
• Why it happens: rapid deceleration and change of direction under load, sometimes with contact.

Important note: exercise-based prevention programmes reduce ACL injury risk, especially when done consistently with good coaching and adherence (Magaña-Ramírez et al., 2024).

Meniscus or Cartilage Injury

• What it feels like: joint-line pain, swelling, catching, locking or a sense something is stuck.
• Common mechanism: twisting on a planted foot.

Contusions (Corks) to Thigh, Shin or Foot

• What it feels like: deep bruise and stiffness after a direct blow.
• Key point: early controlled movement helps, but severe bruising may need a tailored plan to avoid complications like myositis ossificans.

Calf Strain or Achilles Tendon Pain

• What it feels like: tightness or sharp pain in the calf, or soreness and stiffness at the Achilles, often worse the day after.
• Why it happens: sprinting and repeated accelerations, sudden increases in training volume, reduced calf capacity.

Hip and Groin-Related Pain (Including Athletic Pubalgia)

• What it feels like: deep groin or lower abdominal pain, worse with sprinting, cutting and kicking.

Important note: this is not always a true hernia. Many cases are load-related and respond to a structured strengthening and running plan.

Most Common Soccer Injuries in Children and Adolescents

In younger players, you still see sprains and strains, but you also see growth-related problems because bones and tendons do not always grow at the same pace (Olivier et al., 2022).

Ankle Sprain

Often the most common acute injury in youth soccer. Re-injury risk increases after a first sprain if balance and control are not rebuilt (Delahunt et al., 2019).

Knee Sprain (Including ACL and Other Ligaments)

More common in older adolescents as speed and intensity increase. Prevention programmes tailored to age and skill level make a real difference (Magaña-Ramírez et al., 2024).

Thigh Strains (Hamstring or Quadriceps)

Seen more in older teens, especially with sprinting and fixture congestion.

Groin or Adductor Strain

Often appears as training volume rises, or when players specialise early without enough strength work.

Shin Contusions and Bruises

Common even with shin guards, especially in tackles and accidental contact.

Osgood-Schlatter Disease (Tibial Tubercle Apophysitis)

• What it feels like: pain and a bump just below the kneecap, worse with running, jumping and stairs.
• Why it happens: traction load from the quadriceps at the growth area, often during growth spurts (Franceschi et al., 2018).

Sever’s Disease (Calcaneal Apophysitis)

• What it feels like: heel pain, worse after running, jumping and hard training blocks.
• Why it happens: load at the growth area of the heel, often during rapid growth and increased sport volume (Olivier et al., 2022).
• Bone Stress Injuries (Stress Reaction or Stress Fracture)

Usually linked to rapid workload increases, not enough recovery, or a big jump in running volume.

Concussion

Concussion can occur from head-to-head contact, falls, ball impact or collisions. It is also under-reported, and some Australian data suggests under-reporting can be very high across certain sports (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2024). Follow recognised concussion guidance and a graded return to sport (Australian Institute of Sport, 2023).

Upper Limb Fractures and Sprains (Wrist, Forearm, Shoulder, Fingers)

These often happen in falls, especially in goalkeepers.

Red Flags: When to Get Urgent Medical Care

Seek urgent assessment if you have:

• A suspected fracture (obvious deformity, severe bony tenderness, cannot weight-bear)
• A knee that locks and cannot straighten
• Severe swelling shortly after a knee injury
• A calf that is very swollen, hot and painful (needs medical assessment)
• Any red flag concussion signs (worsening headache, repeated vomiting, confusion, seizure, drowsiness, neck pain, weakness, vision changes)

How Often Do Injuries Occur?

Injury rates vary depending on age, level, and whether it is a match or training. Across professional football, published research commonly reports overall injury incidence around the range of roughly 9 to 35 injuries per 1,000 hours of exposure, with match rates far higher than training (López-Valenciano et al., 2020). In tournament settings, match injury rates are also much higher than training, even when overall tournament injury rates look “low” (Verhagen et al., 2025).

Why Do Injuries Happen?

Most soccer injuries come from one of two pathways:

• Contact or awkward landings (direct trauma) Examples: a tackle, collision, being stepped on, landing from a header, a shin “cork”.
• Overuse and load build-up (indirect trauma) Examples: hamstring strains, groin pain, tendon pain, bone stress injuries, growth-related apophysitis in kids.

A simple way to think about overuse is: your tissues have a “work capacity”. If training, matches or life stress push you beyond it for long enough, something becomes sore.

Are Women More Likely to Be Injured?

In elite women’s football, time-loss injury burden is substantial, with thigh injuries being particularly common and ACL injuries carrying the highest burden due to long time away (Hallén et al., 2024). The reasons are multi-factorial, including strength, biomechanics, fatigue, match demands and in some cases access to consistent prevention training.

Quick “What to Do Now” Guide for Treating Soccer Injuries

Use this as a starting point, not a final diagnosis.

If It Is a Fresh Muscle Strain (Hamstring, Quad, Calf)

• Stop sprinting and kicking hard.
• In the first 24 to 48 hours, keep it comfortable with relative rest.
• Gentle walking is usually better than complete rest, as long as pain stays mild.
• Book an assessment early if you felt a “pop”, have bruising or cannot jog.

If It Is an Ankle Sprain

• If you cannot take four steps, have severe swelling or bony tenderness, get checked to rule out fracture.
• Early movement and progressive loading usually beats total immobilisation for typical sprains.
• Rehab should include balance work, not just stretching.

If It Is a Knee Twist With Swelling

• Significant swelling within a few hours can suggest a more serious internal injury.
• Avoid playing through it.
• Get assessed early, especially if the knee is catching, locking, giving way or you cannot fully straighten it.

If It Is a Head Knock

• Recognise and remove from play.
• No same-day return.
• Follow a graded return to sport with appropriate medical guidance (Australian Institute of Sport, 2023; Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2024).

Why Injuries Keep Coming Back

Repeat injuries are usually a sign that one of these is missing:

• Full capacity restored (strength, speed, jumping and change of direction)
• Good movement control (especially at the ankle, hip and trunk)
• Graduated exposure to the exact thing that caused the injury (often sprinting or hard deceleration)
• Workload progression that matches the player’s current fitness
• A clear return-to-play standard, not just “it feels better” (Perna et al., 2025)

How to Reduce Your Risk

Use a Proper Warm-Up Programme

Neuromuscular warm-ups reduce injury risk when done consistently, especially with good coaching and adherence (Stergiou et al., 2025). The FIFA 11+ family of programmes is one of the most studied approaches.

• For adults and older adolescents: consider FIFA 11+ style sessions.
• For children: age-appropriate versions exist and have evidence for reducing injuries in youth football (Al Attar et al., 2017).

Build Strength Where Soccer Needs It

A simple weekly base that helps many players:

• Eccentric hamstrings
• Calf strength (straight and bent knee)
• Hip and groin strength
• Single-leg strength (split squats, step-downs)
• Trunk control (anti-rotation and anti-extension)

Manage Training Load

Injuries often follow spikes: a sudden jump in matches, sprinting or extra sessions. Even good training can become too much if it ramps too quickly.

Train Speed Properly

Many hamstring issues occur because players return to matches without enough high-speed running exposure in training. Build sprint volume progressively, not in one big hit.

Get the Basics Right: Boots, Surface, Recovery

• Use boots appropriate for the surface and conditions.
• Prioritise sleep and protein intake.
• Do not ignore persistent soreness that changes your running style.

Return to Play: What “Ready” Actually Looks Like

Time alone is not enough. A good return-to-play decision usually checks:

• Pain-free walking, jogging and sport drills
• Strength symmetry appropriate to the injury
• Confidence and no giving way
• Ability to repeat efforts (not just one good sprint)
• Sport-specific tests (cutting, deceleration, ball work)

For hamstring injuries in football, published work highlights the wide variation in return-to-play criteria and the need for objective measures alongside clinical judgement (Perna et al., 2025).

For concussion, follow recognised Australian concussion guidelines and graded return frameworks. Children and adolescents should be managed more conservatively than adults (Australian Institute of Sport, 2023; Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, n.d.).

If you have a sports injury and want to ensure that your recovery is smooth and your return-to-play is as short as is safely possible, please feel free to book an appointment with our expert sports physios in Sydney.

FAQs

What Is the Most Common Soccer Injury?

Lower-limb injuries dominate. In many adult datasets, hamstring and other thigh muscle injuries, ankle sprains and knee injuries feature heavily (López-Valenciano et al., 2020; Hallén et al., 2024).

Why Do I Keep Rolling My Ankle?

The biggest risk factor is a previous ankle sprain, especially if balance, hopping control and sport-specific cutting drills were not rebuilt (Delahunt et al., 2019).

Is It Okay to Play Through Groin Pain?

Not usually. Groin pain can worsen with continued kicking and cutting. Early assessment helps identify the tissue involved and prevents a short-term issue becoming persistent.

How Do I Know If I Have Torn My ACL?

Common signs include a pop, immediate swelling, instability and giving way with turning. Not everyone feels a pop, so if the knee feels unstable, get assessed.

Do Warm-Up Injury Prevention Programmes Actually Work?

Yes, when done consistently and coached well. Neuromuscular warm-up programmes have strong evidence for reducing lower-limb injuries in football, with adherence being a key factor (Stergiou et al., 2025; Magaña-Ramírez et al., 2024).

What Should I Do After a Head Knock in Soccer?

Recognise and remove from play, no same-day return, and follow concussion guidance and a graded return plan (Australian Institute of Sport, 2023). Concussion is also under-reported, so it is better to be cautious (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2024).

How Long Should My Child Be Out After Concussion?

Follow medical advice and the graded return process. Many Australian paediatric resources recommend a conservative approach for children and adolescents (Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, n.d.; Australian Institute of Sport, 2023).

References (APA 7th)

Al Attar, W. S. A., Soomro, N., Sinclair, P. J., Pappas, E., & Sanders, R. H. (2017). Effect of the FIFA 11+ Kids programme on injury prevention in children: A cluster-randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2024, July 2). Concussions in Australia over the last decade.

Australian Institute of Sport. (2023). Australian concussion guidelines for youth and community sport. Australian Sports Commission.

Bengtsson, H., Waldén, M., Hägglund, M., Ekstrand, J., & UEFA Elite Club Injury Study Group. (2023). No major changes in injury incidence in European club football during the 2022/23 FIFA World Cup season: A subanalysis of the UEFA Elite Club Injury Study. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine.

Delahunt, E., Bleakley, C. M., Bossard, D. S., Caulfield, B. M., Docherty, C. L., Doherty, C., Fourchet, F., Fong, D. T.-P., Hertel, J., Hiller, C. E., Kaminski, T. W., McKeon, P. O., Refshauge, K. M., Verhagen, E. A. L. M., Vicenzino, B., Wikstrom, E. A., & Gribble, P. A. (2019). Risk factors for lateral ankle sprains and chronic ankle instability: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Athletic Training.

Franceschi, F., Papalia, R., Paciotti, M., Franceschetti, E., Torre, G., Maffulli, N., & Denaro, V. (2018). Osgood-Schlatter disease: A clinical review. Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research.

Hallén, A., Waldén, M., Bengtsson, H., et al. (2024). UEFA Women’s Elite Club Injury Study: A prospective study on injuries in elite women’s football. British Journal of Sports Medicine.

López-Valenciano, A., Ruiz-Pérez, I., Garcia-Gómez, A., Vera-Garcia, F. J., De Ste Croix, M., Myer, G. D., & Ayala, F. (2020). Epidemiology of injuries in professional football: A systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 54(12), 711–718.

Magaña-Ramírez, M., et al. (2024). What exercise programme is the most appropriate to mitigate anterior cruciate ligament injury risk in football (soccer) players? A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.

Olivier, B., et al. (2022). Youth football injuries and overuse conditions: A review. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.

Perna, P., et al. (2025). Return-to-play criteria following a hamstring injury in professional football: A scoping review. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance.

Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne. (n.d.). Head injury: Return to school and sport (Kids Health Info fact sheet).

Stergiou, M., et al. (2025). Effectiveness of neuromuscular training in preventing lower limb injuries in soccer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Verhagen, E., Kryger, K. O., Bahtijarevic, Z., Pangrazio, O., & Forriol, F. (2025). Injury incidence and patterns in men’s UEFA EURO 2024 and CONMEBOL Copa America 2024: Descriptive findings from two simultaneously staged tournaments. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 11(3), e002671.