High Injury Incidence Among Youth in the World's Largest Football Tournament.

Abstract

Gothia Cup is the world's largest youth football (soccer) tournament, held annually since 1975. In 2024, 33 060 players from over 72 countries participated in 4820 matches. Although studies have examined injuries among youth football, research during tournaments remains limited. This prospective study aimed to assess the incidence of injuries among youth football players in Gothia Cup. Secondary objectives included comparing injury by age, sex, and across days of the tournament. All visits at medical tents were recorded. An injury was defined according to FIFA's suggestion as any physical condition that prompted a football player to seek medical attention during the tournament. A total of 1184 injuries were reported, resulting in an overall injury rate of 15.4 injuries/1000 player hours (95% CI, 14.5-16.2). Girls experienced a higher injury rate than boys (16.7, 95% CI 15.0-18.3 vs. 14.7, 95% CI 13.7-15.7 injuries/1000 player hours). Injury incidence increased progressively throughout the tournament, with the lowest rate on the first day (8.8 injuries/1000 player hours, 95% CI 7.3-10.3) and highest on the last day (37.6 injuries/1000 player hours, 95% CI 25.5-49.7). Incidence varied significantly across age groups, with the youngest players (aged 11 and 12 years) exhibiting the highest injury rates (27.7, 95% CI 21.6-33.8 and 25.7, 95% CI 21.0-30.5, injuries/1000 player hours, respectively). Lower extremity injuries were most common. However, head injuries accounted for 7% of all injuries. These findings highlight the injury patterns in a large-scale, six-day youth football tournament, providing valuable insights for the development of medical strategies in future football tournaments.