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.

Objectives: To compare injury incidences between the 2022/23 season and the preceding five seasons, and between World Cup players and non-World Cup players during the 2022/23 season.

Methods: During the 2022/23 season, 29 teams participated in the Union of European Football Associations Elite Club Injury Study and reported football exposures and injuries prospectively. Injury incidence was compared with that of the five preceding seasons for the full season and for periods before and after the Fédération Internationale de Football Association World Cup 2022. In addition, World Cup players were compared with non-World Cup players. Incidences were compared using rate ratio (RR) with 95% CI.

Results: Injury incidences during the 2022/23 season were similar to previous seasons except for training incidence which, due to a significantly lower incidence in the 2017/18 season compared with all other seasons, was higher during the full season (RR 1.10, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.21) and in the period before the World Cup (RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.35). World Cup players had similar injury incidences before and after the tournament (training incidence; RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.65 to 1.38, match incidence; RR 1.15, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.52) but a significantly lower match incidence than non-World Cup players before the tournament (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.00).

Conclusions: No major changes in injury incidences were observed during the 2022/23 season compared with previous seasons. World Cup players experienced similar injury incidences before and after the tournament, and had a lower match injury incidence before the tournament compared with non-World Cup players.