Effects of the FIFA 11 + Program on Physical Fitness in Youth and Adult Soccer Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract Background Soccer is a high-intensity sport that requires high levels of physical fitness, including balance, change of direction (CoD), speed and power. The FIFA 11 + program has been widely promoted to enhance physical fitness and reduce injury occurrence. Objective This meta-analysis set out to examine how the FIFA 11 + program, implemented as a warm-up versus conventional warm-up (soccer-specific and alternative warm-ups), impacts physical fitness attributes in youth and adult soccer players. Methods After a priori defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 17 intervention studies with 611 male and female soccer players (Tier 2–4) aged 9–29 years were eligible to be included. The FIFA 11 + program implemented in the warm-up was contrasted with conventional warm-up programs (control) on outcome measures such as dynamic balance, CoD speed, linear sprint and proxies of muscle power (vertical jump height). The influence of potential moderators (e.g., training duration, frequency, session duration, age, sex, training and performance calibre) on study outcome measures was examined using subgroup analyses with the median split method. Results Findings demonstrated small-to-moderate improvements in favour of FIFA 11 + compared with conventional warm-ups on dynamic balance (small standardized mean differences SMDs = 0.37, p < 0.001, heterogeneity I 2 = 7), CoD speed (moderate SMDs = − 0.65, p = 0.005, I 2 = 84), and vertical jump height (small SMDs = 0.56, p < 0.001, I 2 = 71). Results from the sub-analyses showed that, for dynamic balance, shorter training durations (< 9 weeks) produced larger effects than longer durations (≥ 9 weeks) (SMDs = 0.62 versus SMDs = 0.17). For vertical jump height, < 9 weeks also yielded greater improvements (SMDs = 0.79 versus SMDs = 0.26). In terms of weekly training frequency, ≥ 3 sessions/week elicited larger gains in change-of-direction speed (SMDs = − 1.05 versus SMDs = − 0.12) and vertical jump height (SMDs = 0.73 versus SMDs = 0.01) compared with < 3 sessions/week. Regarding participant characteristics, players aged ≥ 18 years showed greater improvements than those < 18 years in change-of-direction speed (SMDs = − 1.45 versus SMDs = − 0.06) and vertical jump height (SMDs = 0.64 versus SMDs = 0.22). For sex differences, males experienced greater benefits than females in change-of-direction speed (SMDs = − 0.79 versus SMDs = − 0.04) and vertical jump height (SMDs = 0.54 versus SMDs = 0.09). Finally, higher-level players (≥ tier 3) demonstrated greater improvements in vertical jump height than lower-tier players (< Tier 3) (SMDs = 0.75 versus SMDs = 0.01). The observed benefits were statistically significant but generally of small-to-moderate magnitude and affected by study heterogeneity and program implementation differences. Most studies included male participants, limiting generalizability to female and underrepresented populations. Several studies also lacked rigorous methodological design, particularly in allocation, concealment and blinding. Reporting of training and demographic variables was often incomplete. These limitations highlight the necessity for rigorously designed, low-bias randomized controlled trials with standardized implementation of the FIFA 11 + program and thorough reporting to enhance the reliability of causal conclusions and improve clinical interpretation. Conclusion The FIFA 11 + program was more effective than conventional soccer warm-up programs to enhance soccer players’ physical fitness (i.e., dynamic balance, CoD speed, vertical jump height). A shorter training duration (< 9 weeks) and more weekly training sessions (≥ 3 sessions/week) induced larger performance effects. FIFA 11 + was more effective in older (≥ 18 years) and male players and in players of higher performance calibre (≥ Tier 3). These findings underscore the versatility of the FIFA 11 + program to improve soccer players’ physical fitness, supporting its integration into the warm-up of regular soccer training sessions. Protocol Registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42025633810 , PROSPERO: CRD42025633810. Graphical Abstract