Injury Risk Reduction Strategies in Professional Football (Soccer): What Is the Evidence?

Football (soccer) is the most popular sport worldwide. A wide variety of injuries occur at different competitive levels. Some of these injuries are rare, but may have devastating consequences for players, such as anterior cruciate ligament rupture. On the other hand, there are more common injuries, such as mild muscle strains, that usually result in a short return-to-play period. There is a paucity of existing evidence supporting the use of specific preventative practices for certain injuries. The purpose of this review is to highlight current injury prevention measures that are used among professional football players and to review the level of evidence for each specific program. The resources available in professional football can lend itself to conduct high-level research to develop injury prevention programs.