As previous literature updates, I have performed a PubCrawler search looking for football articles in NCBI Medline (PubMed) and GenBank databases.

Following studies were retrieved for this week:

1 The role of stretching protocols in post-fatigue performance and flexibility among soccer players

Reference: Sci Rep. 2025 Dec 19. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-32188-3. Online ahead of print.
Authors: Mojtaba Iranmanesh, Elham Hosseini, Roya Bigtashkhani, Aida Sabouri, Mohammad Alghosi, Mohammad Alimoradi, Farzaneh Saki, David George Behm
Summary: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of static stretching (SS), slow dynamic stretching (SDS), and fast dynamic stretching (FDS) on restoring flexibility, balance, and performance following soccer-specific fatigue. Forty male soccer players (age: 21.0 ± 2.4 years) completed the study. Participants performed a soccer-specific fatigue protocol followed by one of four conditions (SS, SDS at 50 bpm, FDS at 100 bpm, and a control condition (CC)). Measures included knee range of motion (ROM) (Modified Thomas and passive knee extension tests), dynamic balance (Y-Balance Test), biomechanics during a countermovement jump (CMJ) (assessed via OpenCap), 20-m sprint speed, and Illinois agility test performance. The findings indicate that the SS condition showed the greatest improvements in knee flexion (d = 0.51-0.98) and extension (d = 0.45-0.52) ROM. The SDS condition demonstrated superior performance in CMJ jump (highest knee flexion increase, lowest knee valgus, fastest take-off time; d = 0.43-1.89), sprint speed (d = 0.57-0.71), and agility (d = 0.80-0.92). Although dynamic balance improved over time, there were no significant differences between the stretching conditions (p > 0.05). Additionally, the FDS protocol resulted in the smallest gains across all measured outcomes, particularly under fatigued conditions. SDS is most effective for enhancing knee joint mechanics, sprint, and agility recovery post-fatigue, while SS is optimal for ROM restoration. Stretching protocol selection should be contingent on the intended recovery outcome. These findings support incorporating such targeted interventions to optimize athletic performance.

2 Sequencing effects of balance and change of direction training on physical fitness in young male and highly trained soccer players

Reference: Sci Rep. 2025 Dec 19;15(1):44143. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-32748-7.
Authors: Lobna Aliani, Raouf Hammami, Andrew Sortwell, Walid Selmi, Haithem Rebai, Urs Granacher
Download link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-32748-7.pdf
Summary: The capacity to quickly change directions is a critical success factor in soccer. Accordingly, change-of-direction training (CODT) should be part of soccer training. Whether there is a sequencing effect of CODT with other training modalities is currently unresolved. Thus, the study objective was to examine the sequencing effects of balance training (BT) and CODT on selected measures of physical fitness and soccer-specific performance in highly-trained young soccer players. Thirty-seven highly-trained male pubertal soccer players aged 12-13 years (Tier 3) exercised for eight weeks with two weekly CODT (forward, backward and lateral drills) or BT (e.g., bi- and unilateral exercises on unstable surfaces) sessions included in regular soccer training sessions. While experimental group 1 (n = 18) performed four weeks of BT followed by four weeks of CODT, group 2 (n = 19) followed the opposite sequencing scheme (CODT before BT). BT or CODT lasted 20 min per session and replaced parts of the soccer-specific training, including technical, tactical drills and small-sided games. Pre and post-training, tests were conducted for the assessment of static, dynamic balance (i.e., center of pressure surface area, velocity on firm, foam surfaces), linear sprint speed (i.e., 5-m, 10-m, 30-m) and change-of-direction (COD) ability (i.e., 15-m COD ability test) with and without the ball. Vertical and horizontal jump performances were tested using the countermovement and the standing long jump tests. Once statistical assumptions were met, a two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was computed with the factors ‚group‘ (BT before CODT vs. CODT before BT) as the between-subject factor and ‚time‘ (pre-test vs. post-test) as the within-subject factor. Findings showed significant group-by-time interactions for all proxies of static (d = 0.45-1.12; all p < 0.01) and dynamic balance (d = 0.40 – 0.27; all p < 0.03), COD with (d = 0.64; p < 0.02) and without the ball (d = 0.24; p < 0.04), horizontal and vertical jump performances (d = 1.89-2.94; all p < 0.001) and linear sprints (d = 0.29-0.73; all p < 0.04). Post-hoc tests indicated significant pre-post changes for all tested variables for the group that performed BT before CODT (d = 0.28-1.97; all p < 0.05) and to a lesser extent for the opposite sequencing scheme (d = 0.10-0.28; all p < 0.05). A mesocycle commencing with BT prior to CODT appears to have a preconditioning effect, resulting in better outcomes in balance, speed, and jump performances in highly-trained young soccer players. Strength and conditioning professionals working with young male soccer players may apply a block of BT before CODT to enhance their players‘ performance.

3 Contextual Factors and Running Demands in Elite Female Soccer: A Comparison Between Starters and Non-Starters

Reference: Res Q Exerc Sport. 2025 Dec 18:1-13. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2025.2594701. Online ahead of print.
Authors: Paulo Sandi, Luiz Guilherme Gonçalves, Paulo Vitor de Souza, Ronaldo Kobal, Ageu da Silva Lins, Paulo Eduardo Costa Neves, Felipe Nunes Rabelo, Júlia Ávila Oliveira, Romário Oliveira, Henrique Domingues, Rodrigo Aquino, Juliano Fernandes da Silva
Summary: This study examined how contextual factors influence match-running performance in elite women’s soccer, with a focus on differences between starters (i.e. players who began the match) and nonstarters (i.e. players who entered the match as substitutes and played for at least 5 minutes). A total of 95 women’s players from four teams competing in the Brazilian Women’s First Division were monitored across 60 matches using 10-Hz GPS devices. Running performance was analyzed in both absolute and relative terms (m·min-1) across five speed zones, PlayerLoad, accelerations, and decelerations metrics. The contextual variables examined included opponent level, match location, number of days between matches, and the momentary point-difference. Starters covered greater absolute distances, while nonstarters exhibited higher relative demands in moderate- to high intensity zones and accelerations. Starters displayed higher relative distances in low intensity running. As part of the positional comparison, midfielders covered the greatest total distance, while external defenders and forwards performed more high-intensity actions. Central defenders had the lowest physical demands across all metrics. Nonstarters showed greater sprinting distances in matches against stronger opponents when playing at home. The momentary point-difference also influenced physical performance, with more balanced matches associated with reduced running outputs across positions and roles. Additionally, greater running outputs were observed in matches with ≤4 days of recovery, especially in low-to-moderate intensity zones. Performance staff should adopt role-specific and context-approach training strategies, considering starter status and match contextual demands to prescribe compensatory training loads in elite women’s soccer.

4 The effect of sports massage on state anxiety in elite soccer players

Reference: Front Psychol. 2025 Nov 28:16:1724892. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1724892. eCollection 2025.
Authors: Mine Taskin, Erol Korkmaz, Maya Budak, Ibrahim Halil Sahin, Halil Taskin
Download link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1724892/full
Summary: A sports massage represents an intervention that is frequently used in sports for that purpose, to recover and prepare an athlete for the following match. Studies that link massage and psychological mechanisms are scarce. In the athletic and recreational sport population, most of the studies confirmed a positive correlation between a massage and the improvement of different psychological states. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Sports Massage intervention on pre-match anxiety. A total of 26 elite soccer players participated in this study and were pretest and posttest by using the Quasi-Experimental study design, quantitatively. The instrument used in this study was State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The state anxiety inventory was administered to the soccer players 30-45 min before the competition. There were two phases of instrument measurement in this study namely pre-massage (pretest) and post-massage (posttest). Binary logistic regression analysis was performed. There was a significant difference in the between pre massage anxiety and post massage anxiety (p < 0.05). Thus, the logistic regression model was effective in predicting the relationship between massage intervention and with reduction of anxiety. In a complementary logistic model, the odds of high anxiety were lower after massage (OR = 0.85; 95% CI) and ROC analysis yielded AUC = 0.76. Post-massage STAI-State scores were lower than pre-massage (mean ± SD: 28.35 ± 5.36 vs. 35.15 ± 7.70); we report the effect size (Cohen’s d value = 1.03) and 95% CI for interpretability. The study found that pre-match massage significantly affected the state anxiety of elite soccer players. Soccer players who had a massage showed 0.849 times smaller anxiety scores than did the players who had not. This finding suggests the efficacy of sports massage as an effective intervention to reduce pre-competition anxiety in elite soccer players.

5 Fluid balance and electrolyte losses in collegiate male soccer players in practice and game under different environments

Reference: Sci Rep. 2025 Dec 16;15(1):43899. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-27715-1.
Authors: Pengwei Ma, Kate Early, Haicheng Li, Guangxia Zhang, Haoyan Wang
Download link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12708657/pdf/41598_2025_Article_27715.pdf
Summary: The environment poses significant physiologic challenges to athletic performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate fluid balance and electrolyte losses in Chinese collegiate male soccer players during practices and games under different environments. Twelve male players were recruited across 38 practices (P) and 17 games (G) over a 9-month period, conducted in hot (H) and cool (C) environments, yielding four experimental conditions: G + H, P + H, G + C, and P + C. Fluid balance parameters comprised body mass loss (BML), urine specific gravity (USG), and sweat compositions. On-field running characteristics were collected only in games, including total distance covered (TD), number of sprints, fast run distance, accelerations, and decelerations. Pre-exercise USG indicated that > 50% of players began exercise in a hypohydrated status across four conditions. Players in G + C showed a higher proportion of ≥ 2% hypohydration, whereas players were overhydrated in G + H. Fluid balance parameters were significantly influenced by both exercise conditions and environments. Better running performance was found in G + C than G + H (p < 0.001). Both TD (r = -0.56, p < 0.001) and fast run distance (r = -0.54, p < 0.001) was inversely associated with %BML. Pre-exercise hypohydration remains a significant concern, regardless of exercise conditions or environments. TD and fast run distance may serve as practical indicators of post-game hydration status. Future guidelines aim at modifying drinking behaviors could help players maintain optimal hydration.

6 Changes in Sprinting and Landing Mechanics Across 120 minutes of Soccer-specific Exercise

Reference: J Strength Cond Res. 2025 Dec 17. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000005314. Online ahead of print.
Authors: Adam Field, Anne Fischer, Dale Bryan Read, Andy Sanderson, Philip Graham-Smith, Laurence Birdsey, Liam Harper, Christopher Bramah, Richard Michael Page, Thomas Dos’Santos
Summary: The aim of this study was to examine the influence of 120 minutes of simulated soccer match play on sprinting and landing mechanics. Twelve semiprofessional soccer players completed bilateral vertical drop jumps, countermovement jumps, and 30-m sprints at prematch, half-time, full-time, and post-extra time. Two-dimensional frontal plane footage was captured during jumps, and the frontal plane projection angle upon landing was measured. Sprint-running mechanics were assessed using a novel qualitative screening tool. Drop-jump height reduced 12.5% from prematch (0.32 ± 0.02 m) to extra time (0.28 ± 0.02 m, p = 0.002, d = 0.2), 11.1% from full-time to prematch (0.27 ± 0.02 m; p = 0.013, d = 2.2), and 6.3% from full-time to half-time (0.30 ± 0.02 m; p = 0.001, d = 3.0). Average landing force decreased 4.5% at extra time (1,022.7 ± 38.3 N) vs. prematch (1,068.7 ± 38.5 N; p = 0.003, d = 1.2), 5.5% at half-time (1,078.7 ± 38.3; p = 0.001, d = 0.8), and 3.8% at full-time (1,039.5 ± 38.3) vs. half-time (p = 0.015, d = 0.3). Time to stabilization increased 14.3% at extra time (663 ± 34 ms) from 568 ± 34 ms at prematch (p = 0.009, d = 0.3), 13.7% at half-time (572 ± 34 ms; p = 0.004, d = 0.1), and 9.1% at full-time (663 ± 34; p = 0.011, d = 0.2). Relative peak landing force was 6.9% higher at full-time (692.00 ± 44.44%) vs. half-time (644.79 ± 44.44%; p = 0.009, d = 0.4), but 6.2% lower at half-time vs. prematch (684.50 ± 44.28%; p = 0.022, d = 0.6). Sprint mechanics movement quality deteriorated by 29.5% at half-time (2.75 ± 0.26) compared with prematch (1.95 ± 0.27; p = 0.016, d = 0.5), and by 33.4% from prematch to extra time (2.93 ± 0.27; p = 0.013, d = 0.6). Players may experience impaired neuromuscular performance, particularly during landing and sprinting, which may influence movement quality and could contribute to increased injury susceptibility, although this requires further investigation.

7 Relationship between running demands in friendly match and aerobic-anaerobic field test results in youth soccer players

Reference: BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2025 Dec 15;17(1):365. doi: 10.1186/s13102-025-01414-w.
Authors: Erhan Işıkdemir, Yusuf Köklü, B Utku Alemdaroğlu, Alper Aşçı
Download link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12706986/pdf/13102_2025_Article_1414.pdf
Summary: Field test performance is a key indicator of soccer match performance, offering insights into aerobic and anaerobic capacities. This study investigated the relationship between field test performance and match performance in young soccer players. Thirty-eight elite male soccer players (mean ± SD: age 17.1 ± 1.01 years; height 177.17 ± 5.38 cm; body mass 71.18 ± 5.60 kg) participated in the study. Aerobic endurance was evaluated using the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Level 1 test (YIRT1), the 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test (30-15IFT), and the Circular Field Test (FTcir). Anaerobic capacity was assessed through the Repeated Sprint Test and the 40 m Maximal Running Speed Test (MRS40). Match performance was determined using GPS data, with metrics including total distance covered and distances in different speed zones: walking (0-6.9 km.h-1), low-intensity running (7-12.9 km.h-1), moderate-intensity running (13-17.9 km.h-1), very high-intensity running (18-20.9 km.h-1), sprinting (≥ 21 km.h-1), and high-intensity actions (≥ 13 km.h-1). Significant positive correlations were observed between YIRT1 results and total match distance (r = .524-.546, p < 0.01), as well as high-intensity actions (r = .490-.518, p < 0.01). The 30-15IFT showed moderately positive correlations with total distance (r = .401, p < 0.05) and high-intensity actions (r = .455, p < 0.01). Anaerobic Threshold Running Speed (AnERS) demonstrated a weak to moderate relationship with low-intensity running (r = -.397 to .312, p < 0.05). In conclusion, among the tests examined, YIRT1 emerged as the most consistent predictor of match-related running performance. While the 30-15IFT showed a moderate correlation, the relationship with anaerobic tests was limited. These findings highlight the usefulness of YIRT1 in assessing match performance but also reveal that no single test fully reflects the complexity of match performance.

8 Comparison of Hamstring Functional and Stiffness Characteristics Between Adolescent Female Soccer Players and Age-Matched Controls: A Cross-Sectional Study

Reference: Res Q Exerc Sport. 2025 Dec 15:1-11. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2025.2589333. Online ahead of print.
Authors: Ryota Akagi, Sonoka Ichikawa, Mikuri Tanaka, Rina Watabe, Ikumi Morikawa, Kaede Mada, Ryoichi Ema
Summary: This cross-sectional study compared the functional and stiffness properties of the hamstring muscles between adolescent female soccer players and age-matched controls. Cluster analysis split the soccer group into 28 participants aged ≥170 months (~14.2 years) and 15 participants < 170 months. The control group was similarly divided (older: 14 participants; younger: 13 participants). Unilateral isometric peak torque and isotonic peak power of the knee flexors and eccentric knee flexor strength measured during the Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE strength) for each leg were determined. The semitendinosus shear modulus was also measured in both legs using ultrasound shear wave elastography. Across all age groups, the soccer group (39-117 Nm) demonstrated significantly greater NHE strength bilaterally (control: 20-80 Nm) (p < .001). Conversely, hamstring stiffness was comparable between the groups, with a notable increase observed in the younger age cohort (older: 2.3-6.3 kPa; younger: 3.1-6.7 kPa) (p = .013). Moreover, soccer players‘ NHE strength did not align with conventional knee flexor strength measures. These results demonstrate that adolescent female soccer players possess a distinct hamstring muscle profile, notably exhibiting significantly greater NHE strength compared to controls, with semitendinosus shear modulus being largely comparable between the groups. This unique profile is commonly associated with a reduced risk of hamstring strain injury, a finding potentially relevant for injury prevention strategies in this population. Such findings offer practical guidance for injury screening, but their interpretation is limited by the cross-sectional design and the control group’s activity heterogeneity.

9 Longitudinal Association Between Sprint and Jump Performance in Youth Male Soccer Players: Implications for Talent Development

Reference: Res Q Exerc Sport. 2025 Dec 15:1-10. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2025.2594709. Online ahead of print.
Authors: Mihkel M Laas, Matthew Wright, Kevin Enright, Thomas Craig
Summary: This study analyzed the longitudinal relationship between short sprints and counter movement jump (CMJ) in youth male soccer players. Players (n = 304, age 13.0 ± 1.9 years) from a Scottish soccer academy completed sprints (10 m, 20 m splits [s]) and a CMJ (cm), on 3 to 14 occasions across 10 seasons. Within-player (repeated measures) and between-player (mean of repeated measures) correlation coefficients were calculated, and a linear mixed model (LMM) was applied to determine whether CMJ can predict sprint changes over a meaningful threshold (0.04 s, equivalent to the suggested minimum difference [~40 cm] for a player to be ahead of the opponent to win a ball in a one-on-one duel). Very large, negative between-player correlations were found for CMJ vs. sprint time (10 m: r = -0.746, 95% CI [-0.792, -0.691]; 20 m: r = -0.822, 95% CI [-0.856, -0.782], respectively). Within-player correlations were moderate-to-large (10 m: r = -0.485, 95% CI [-0.525, -0.443]; 20 m: r = -0.576, 95% CI [-0.611, -0.539]). The LMM analysis revealed that chronological age influenced the within-player correlations, while CMJ did not predict sprint changes over the meaningful threshold. While CMJ might be useful for distinguishing between players with differing sprint ability, it is not a suitable proxy for tracking individual sprint development over time, especially when accounting for chronological age-related changes. Coaches and practitioners should therefore consider incorporating direct sprint assessments into longitudinal monitoring.

10 Effectiveness of small-sided games vs high-intensity interval training on physical fitness in female soccer players: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Reference: Br Med Bull. 2025 Sep 22;156(1):ldaf023. doi: 10.1093/bmb/ldaf023.
Authors: Nicola Trotta, Italo Sannicandro, Johnny Padulo
Summary: In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in international competitions and recreational leagues in female soccer. Small-sided games (SSGs) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) are considered effective training methods to enhance physical fitness in soccer players. Due to the limited research comparing these two protocols in female athletes, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate their effects on change of direction (COD), sprint time (ST), vertical jump (VJ), and endurance performance (END). PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus databases were searched for original scientific articles up to 28 June 2025. Results showed a significant effect favouring SSGs over HIIT protocols in improving COD, while no significant differences were found regarding ST, VJ, and END. The limited and heterogeneous data currently available prevent definitive conclusions and sustain ongoing debate on this topic. This study provides a foundation for future research comparing SSGs and HIIT-based interventions in female soccer players. Future research should focus on: (i) analyzing different SSG formats in adult participants; (ii) detailed examination of the benefits derived both from longer durations of short HIIT and large-sided games; and (iii) investigating performance improvements in young female soccer players across varying competitive levels and stages of maturation.

11 Asymmetries in lean mass, balance, and stability in 12-year-old female soccer (football) players: a cross-sectional study

Reference: Front Sports Act Living. 2025 Nov 27:7:1705797. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2025.1705797. eCollection 2025.
Authors: Runa Stefansdottir, Hekla D Gudmundsdottir, Erlingur Johannsson, Vaka Rognvaldsdottir
Download link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12695845/pdf/fspor-07-1705797.pdf
Summary: Physical asymmetries in soccer (football) are inconsistently reported, and data on female youth players remain limited. This study evaluated asymmetries in leg lean mass, dynamic balance, landing kinetics and postural stability among 12-year-old female soccer players. Eighty-five players from 10 football clubs in Reykjavik, Iceland, participated between April and June 2024. Leg lean mass was assessed via dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), dynamic balance using the Y Balance Test (YBT), and single-leg landing test with VALD force plates. Asymmetry between the preferred kicking leg (PKL) and the non-preferred kicking leg (NPKL) was assessed with paired t-tests. Absolute asymmetry magnitudes were compared across coach-rated performance groups using Welch’s ANOVA. Participants had a mean age of 11.7 ± 0.3 years, height of 154.4 ± 6.9 cm, and weight of 44.2 ± 8.1 kg. No significant asymmetries were found between leg lean mass (p = 0.197), landing force (p = 0.905) or time to stabilization (p = 0.083). However, significant asymmetry was observed in anterior reach on the YBT (p = 0.008, d = 0.29), favoring the NPKL. No differences were seen in other YBT directions. While lean mass and landing performance were symmetrical, the anterior reach asymmetry may reflect early neuromuscular differences. These results suggest that asymmetries in young female players may begin to emerge in select functional domains, even in the absence of structural or kinetic differences. Ongoing monitoring during adolescence may help clarify how training exposure and development influence these patterns.

12 Self-related motivational aspects of hindsight bias in soccer athletes

Reference: Front Sports Act Living. 2025 Nov 27:7:1629424. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2025.1629424. eCollection 2025.
Authors: Tianpei Li, Haifeng Guo, Jin Hwang
Download link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12696178/pdf/fspor-07-1629424.pdf
Summary: Hindsight bias is known to hinder people from learning and make people too adventurous in future decisions. The influence of hindsight bias on athletes, however, has not been widely and extensively investigated. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine self-related motivational aspects of hindsight bias in a sports context. Questionnaires were completed by 84 soccer players in a retrospective-design study. Respondents were divided into winning team members vs. losing team members and playing members vs. nonplaying members to assess the culpability for a negative outcome and outcome controllability. Two-way repeated-measures ANOVA revealed significant hindsight bias for the expected match score regardless of team and player factors. In terms of player factors, playing members of the losing team and nonplaying members of the winning team increased their confidence levels for the expected match score. In terms of team factors, winning team members increased their confidence levels for the expected winning team. The reverse was true for losing team members. Playing members of a losing team used retroactive pessimism and showed greater hindsight bias. Winning team members showed greater hindsight bias, consistent with previous findings that people show hindsight bias for their own good performances. The results are further discussed in light of outcome controllability, expertise, and disappointment.

13 How competitive environments shape career progression in youth football: Context-dependent influence of geographical proximity to U19 Bundesliga teams and professional clubs

Reference: J Sports Sci. 2025 Dec 19:1-17. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2025.2605424. Online ahead of print.
Authors: Finn Christian Simonn, Galila Nasser
Summary: Adopting an ecological perspective that considers geospatial competition as a central contextual factor in talent development, this study investigates how proximity to other elite U19 teams and professional clubs relates to the transition of German youth football players to the professional level. Utilizing data from 1411 players who accumulated substantial playing time in the A-Junioren Bundesliga, we applied mixed-effects logistic regression models to analyse whether (a) the average distance to other U19 Bundesliga teams and (b) the distance to the nearest Bundesliga or 2. Bundesliga club serve as predictors for professional debuts within three seasons after the U19 career period. Our results indicate that, for players from top-tier clubs, shorter distances to U19 teams are associated with a higher likelihood of debuting in the Bundesliga, while greater proximity to Bundesliga or 2. Bundesliga clubs isassociated with a lower likelihood of such debuts. Conversely, for players from lower-tier clubs, greater geographical remoteness from U19 competitors and closer proximity to a Bundesliga or 2. Bundesliga are associated with higher odds of progressing to the 2. Bundesliga. These findings suggest that club officials should consider regional competitive context in recruitment, and encourage researchers to further examine geospatial influences on talent development pathways.

14 Predicting football match outcomes: a multilayer perceptron neural network model based on technical statistics indicators of the FIFA world Cup

Reference: Front Sports Act Living. 2025 Dec 3:7:1705198. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2025.1705198. eCollection 2025.
Authors: Yingling Luo, Tao Quan, Yongfeng Cao
Download link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2025.1705198/full
Summary: This paper utilizes the strong non-linear approximation capability of a multilayer perceptron Neural Network to predict match outcomes based on Technical Statistics Indicators. Principal component analysis was applied to all the official data for dimensionality reduction and feature identification, resulting 22 technical statistics indicators. An architecture of a Multilayer Perceptron Neural Network with a 24-4-3 was constructed using SPSS. The results showed that the model achieved an overall prediction accuracy of 86.7%, the prediction accuracy for Draw is substantially lower than for the Win and Loss. The neural network model exhibited robust predictive performance. On this basis, five relevant topics were discussed, including model performance evaluation, relationship between TSI and match outcomes, discriminative power of TSI, impact of stage on prediction results and incorrect predictions of match. Thus, coaches can enhance the team’s performance-oriented results under limited training resources by transforming the high-impact technical statistical indicators identified by the model into training priorities, thereby achieving data-driven scientific training management.

15 Player reflections on change: 20 years of evolving demands and support in elite football

Reference: Br J Sports Med. 2025 Dec 18:bjsports-2025-111313. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2025-111313. Online ahead of print.
Authors: James Milner, Steph Houghton
Download link: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/early/2025/12/17/bjsports-2025-111313.full.pdf

16 Pride or backlash? Public attitudes towards the Spanish women’s national football team

Reference: Front Sports Act Living. 2025 Dec 2:7:1727889. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2025.1727889. eCollection 2025.
Authors: David Moscoso-Sánchez, Sara Pasadas-Del-Amo, Rodrigo Ramis-Moyano, Manuel Trujillo-Carmona
Download link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2025.1727889/full
Summary: In August 2023, Spain’s Women’s National Football Team won the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time. Beyond sporting success, this victory became a catalyst for intense public debate on gender equality and athlete activism. Shortly after the tournament, two events brought these issues to the forefront: the non-consensual kiss by the president of the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF), which triggered nationwide protests under the hashtag #SeAcabó („It’s over“), and a strike by players demanding better working conditions and higher wages. While these events deepened discussions about sexism in sport, they also revealed strong ideological divisions in Spanish society. This article examines how Spaniards perceived these events and the players‘ labour activism. Drawing on nationally representative data from the October 2023 Barometer of the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS), we analyse support for the players‘ demands and satisfaction with the team’s victory. Using binary logistic regression models, we assess how sociodemographic and political factors shape these attitudes. Results show broad public support for footballers‘ demands but with marked ideological and gender divides. Women and left-wing citizens express stronger solidarity with the players, while right-wing and VOX voters are less supportive and less satisfied with the team’s success. These findings highlight how sport, gender, and politics intersect in Spain’s contemporary public sphere and demonstrate that women’s sport can serve both as a site of empowerment and a field of cultural and political contestation.

17 Investigating the impairment-performance relationship during competition in elite blind and partially sighted football

Reference: Front Sports Act Living. 2025 Dec 1:7:1697819. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2025.1697819. eCollection 2025.
Authors: Harrison K Leivers, Peter M Allen, Matthew A Timmis, Oliver R Runswick
Download link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12703970/pdf/fspor-07-1697819.pdf
Summary: Classification systems aim to minimise the impact of impairment on competition outcome. To measure the effectiveness of a classification system, the relationship between impairment and performance must be investigated. There are two forms of football for athletes with vision impairment (VI): blind football and partially sighted football. Athletes are allocated to either one based on VI severity. Research is yet to assess the impact of impairment on performance in competition; therefore, this study aimed to measure the impairment-performance relationship in male blind, partially sighted and women’s blind football. Notational data consisting of several technical performance measures were assessed (including, but not limited to, possession, passing, shots, and goals) and combined with visual function data from elite blind and partially sighted footballers. Correlations of notational match data and visual acuity (VA) were measured for male blind and partially sighted footballers (study one) and women’s blind footballers (study two). In study 1: the team-level analysis revealed a weak but statistically significant correlation between win ratio and VA for male blind football (r = 0.227). The player-level analysis revealed that VA was correlated with defensive zone clearances (r = 0.198), shots on target (r = 0.237), and shots saved (r = 0.229). In partially sighted football, team-level analysis revealed that VA was significantly correlated with win ratio (r = -0.534) and ball possession (r = 0.419). The player-level analysis revealed that VA was correlated with the number of fouls committed (r = 0.273) and fouls won (r = -0.273). These findings suggest that impairment may impact the outcome of competition in male blind and partially sighted football. In study two, win ratio was not correlated with VA (r = -0.095) in women’s blind football, implying that impairment does not impact competition outcome and that fairness may be achieved. These results evidence a different impairment-performance relationship for each version of the sport, and that the current classification system may not optimise fairness across each form of football.

18 Training the Denmark national football teams in cardiopulmonary resuscitation – Part of the UEFA and ERC ‚Get Trained, Save Lives‘ campaign

Reference: Resusc Plus. 2025 Nov 15:27:101162. doi: 10.1016/j.resplu.2025.101162. eCollection 2026 Jan.
Authors: Fredrik Folke, Jakob Tingsgaard, Persia Shahriari, Victor Kjærulf
Download link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12702376/pdf/main.pdf
Summary: The ‚Get Trained, Save Lives‘ campaign by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) was launched to raise awareness about sudden cardiac arrest and the importance of learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). All national football teams qualified for the EUROs 2024 and 2025 were offered 45 min of CPR training in the form of a ‚GO and save A Life‘ (GOAL) session. This study aimed to assess whether high-quality CPR could be performed by players and staff of the Danish men’s and women’s national football teams following a GOAL session. As a part of the ‚Get Trained, Save Lives‘ campaign, hopefully, this will help to inspire the public to get CPR trained. We collected data from a two-minute CPR quality assessment following GOAL sessions in June 2024 and June 2025. All players and staff of the Denmark national football teams were invited to participate in the study, with missing data as the only exclusion criterion. Participants were provided CPR manikins that recorded CPR quality metrics on chest compressions and rescue breaths. CPR quality scores were compared between male and female players, players with different field positions, and players and staff. We included 88 participants (24 male players, 23 female players, and 41 staff members). The results showed that 60 % of participants met compression rate recommendations, 93 % met compression depth recommendations, 90 % met chest recoil recommendations, 91 % met hands-off time recommendations, and 85 % met rescue breath recommendations.The combined CPR quality score was 90 points (range: 0-100 points). Female players achieved a slightly higher score than male players (95 vs. 84 points, p-value <0.05), while there was no significant difference in CPR quality scores between different field positions and between players and staff. The study showed that high-quality CPR was performed by players and staff of the Denmark men’s and women’s national football teams following GOAL sessions. As part of the ‚Get Trained, Save Lives‘ campaign, this will hopefully inspire citizens to get CPR trained.

19 Early return to play after minimally invasive treatment of metacarpal fractures in elite football players

Reference: Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg. 2025 Nov;31(11):1082-1087. doi: 10.14744/tjtes.2025.40074.
Authors: Yener Ince, Onur Çetin, Arın Celayir, Göker Utku Değer, Tolgahan Korkmaz
Download link: https://pdf.journalagent.com/travma/pdfs/UTD-40074-ORIGINAL_ARTICLE-CELAYIR.pdf
Summary: The aim was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of closed reduction and crossed retrograde intramedullary Kirschner wire (K-wire) fixation in professional football players with metacarpal fractures, specifically focusing on return to play and complication rates. A total of 27 elite professional football athletes with metacarpal fractures were treated using closed reduction and crossed retrograde K-wire fixation. All surgeries were performed by the same orthopedic surgeon. Postoperative rehabilitation included a standardized protocol and individualized braces designed by a single hand therapist. Clinical and functional outcomes were assessed using range of motion (ROM), grip strength, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) scores, time to return to training and competition, and radiographic healing. The mean age of the cohort was 24 years. The fifth metacarpal was the most commonly affected site, and falling onto the pitch was the predominant injury mechanism. Mean return to training was 3.16 weeks, to competition 4.12 weeks, and to radiographic union 4.88 weeks. Mean DASH scores improved from 67.5 to 12.8, VAS from 5.78 to 0.75, MCP joint ROM from 66.75° to 89.25°, and grip strength from 44.87% to 95.55%. Closed reduction and crossed retrograde K-wire fixation, with personalized postoperative care, appears to be a safe, reliable, and minimally invasive method in elite football athletes, enabling early return to play with excellent functional outcomes.

20 Effects of rear-foot instability devices on lower-limb muscle activation during the Bulgarian split squat in male football players

Reference: Sci Rep. 2025 Dec 14. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-32203-7. Online ahead of print.
Authors: Hüseyin Topçu, Ali Kamil Güngör, Yahya Yıldırım, Ufuk Şekir, David G Behm, Monira I Aldhahi
Download link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-32203-7_reference.pdf
Summary: Unilateral resistance exercises such as the Bulgarian Split Squat (BSS) are commonly used to develop lower-limb strength, postural control, and neuromuscular coordination, depending on training variables (e.g., load and intensity). Although instability training increases muscle activation, few studies have examined the effect of rearfoot instability on neuromuscular responses during BSS. This randomized crossover study investigated the acute effects of three rear-foot instability devices on muscle activation during the ascent and descent phases of the BSS in 23 trained male football players. Participants performed body-weight BSS under four conditions: stable platform, BOSU ball, Swiss ball (Swiss), and TRX suspension. Surface electromyography (sEMG) recorded activation of the rectus femoris (RF), vastus lateralis (VL), vastus medialis (VM), biceps femoris (BF), semitendinosus (ST), and gluteus maximus (GM). Twoway repeatedmeasures ANOVA showed significantly greater activation during ascent for BF (p < 0.001), ST (p = 0.006), VL (p < 0.001), VM (p < 0.001), and GM (p < 0.001). Quadriceps activation during descent was highest on the Swiss: RF (Swiss vs. stable: p = 0.002; Swiss vs. BOSU: p < 0.001; Swiss vs. TRX: p = 0.006), VL (Swiss vs. stable: p = 0.017; Swiss vs. BOSU: p = 0.001), and VM (Swiss vs. stable: p = 0.024; Swiss vs. BOSU: p = 0.046). TRX increased ST activation during the ascent compared to the Swiss (p = 0.034), and the BOSU showed higher ST activation than the Swiss during the descent (p = 0.004). Surface significantly affected activation (ST: p = 0.018; RF: p < 0.001; VL: p < 0.001; VM: p = 0.013; GM: p = 0.042), and there was a significant surface × phase interaction for GM (p = 0.041). The findings highlight rearfoot instability as an effective programming variable to selectively enhance muscle activation without external loading, supporting its application in strength and rehabilitation programs.