Common Soccer Injuries and Why They Happen

Soccer injuries often affect the knee, ankle, and groin because the game demands repeated sprinting, cutting, tackling, and kicking. Some issues happen suddenly (acute injuries), while others build up over weeks (overuse injuries). If your pain sits around the knee, start with our Knee Injuries hub. For ankle problems, see Sprained Ankle. If a sharp pull hit the back of the thigh, read Hamstring Strain.

Front-of-hip pain with kicking may relate to Hip Flexor Pain, while ongoing inner-thigh tendon pain may suit our Hip Adductor Tendinopathy guide.

Also, if you play similar running-and-cutting sports, you may find our AFL Injuries and Netball Injuries pages useful for comparison.

Incidence: In Australian men’s professional football surveillance, researchers reported an overall time-loss injury incidence rate of 9.18 injuries per 1000 hours of exposure.¹

Where Do Soccer Injuries Occur?

• Ankle — rolling the ankle during cutting, landing, or a tackle (Sprained Ankle)
• Knee — twisting on a planted foot, deceleration, or contact (Knee Injuries)
• Front of knee — repeated sprinting, jumping and kicking load (Patellar Tendinopathy)
• Hamstring — sprinting, high-speed chasing, or late swing-phase fatigue (Hamstring Strain)
• Front of thigh — sprinting, kicking, or a sudden acceleration (Thigh Strain)
• Thigh (contact bruise) — direct blow during a tackle (Corked Thigh)
• Groin/hip — kicking volume, cutting, and repeated change of direction (Groin Strain)
• Calf/Achilles — repeated acceleration and push-off (Achilles Tendon Pain)
• Shin — running load spikes and harder surfaces (Shin Splints)
• Foot — boot pressure, overload, and repeated pivots (Foot Pain)
• Head — player-to-player contact or falls (Concussion)
• Lower back — sprint volume, rotation, and accumulated stiffness (Back Pain)

Why Soccer Causes Injuries

Soccer combines high-speed running with frequent deceleration, cutting, and contact. As a result, the ankle, knee, hip, and hamstrings take repeated load. Matches also include short bursts of very high intensity with limited rest, so fatigue can build quickly.

If symptoms build slowly and flare with training, they may behave like Tendinopathy, which often improves with progressive loading rather than rest alone.

Surface and footwear matter too. Harder grounds can increase impact load, while high-traction boots can increase twisting forces when your foot sticks during a turn. Congested fixtures and travel can also reduce recovery, which often shows up as tightness, reduced control, and slower reaction time.

Who Gets Injured?

Soccer injuries affect recreational and competitive players. However, risk rises when training load jumps too quickly, match minutes stack up, or recovery drops. Fatigue also changes timing and body position, so tackles and landings can get messier late in games.

Prior injury matters too. A previous ankle sprain, hamstring strain, or groin pain episode can increase recurrence risk, especially if strength and control did not return fully. Over a season, even “small” niggles can reduce speed, confidence, and availability for selection.

Most Common Soccer Injuries

• Ankle sprain
  Often happens with cutting, landing, or tackles that roll the ankle.
• Hamstring strain
  Common during sprinting and late-game fatigue, especially with sudden accelerations.
• ACL injury
  Can occur with a twist on a planted foot, an awkward landing, or contact.
• Meniscus tear
  Often follows a knee twist, deep bend, or impact during a tackle.
• Groin strain
  May build up with kicking and cutting, or flare during a sharp turn.
• Concussion
  Usually relates to collisions, falls, or head-to-head contact rather than the ball alone.

How Physiotherapy, EP & Massage Can Help

Physiotherapy for soccer injuries can help by identifying the movement and load factors that triggered symptoms, then building a return-to-play plan that fits your position and weekly schedule. Your physiotherapist may assess landing and cutting mechanics, strength, balance, sprint tolerance, and kicking volume. After that, they can guide a staged progression back to training and matches.

Exercise physiology can assist with structured conditioning and strength progressions, particularly when you need a longer build (for example, after recurrent hamstring or groin issues). Massage can be a supportive option for short-term symptom relief, recovery, and comfort, but it should sit alongside an active plan rather than replace it.

For a broader overview, see Sports Injury Physiotherapy and our Acute Sports Injury Clinic page for early management options.

When To See a Physiotherapist

• Pain that persists beyond a few sessions or keeps returning
• Swelling, bruising, or a sense something “gives way”
• Loss of speed, jumping confidence, or change-of-direction control
• Load intolerance (pain increases as training volume increases)
• Repeat injuries in the same area across the season

Early assessment often leads to a safer and faster return to sport.

Injury Prevention Tips for Soccer Injuries

• Use a structured warm-up before every session (consider Football Australia Perform+).
• Build sprint exposure gradually, especially early season and after breaks.
• Train deceleration and change of direction, not only straight-line speed.
• Prioritise calf strength, hamstring strength, and hip/adductor capacity.
• Monitor “spikes” in load: extra matches, tournaments, or double sessions.
• Rotate boots if needed, and match studs to ground conditions to reduce unwanted traction.
• Use next-day symptoms as feedback: stiffness and pain the next day often means the load was too high.
• If you want a structured plan, see Injury Prevention Programs.
• For broader prevention guidance, see the National Preventive Health Strategy 2021–2030.

Returning Safely to Soccer

A safer return usually relies on graded exposure. Start with controlled running and ball work, then add cutting, tackling, and higher-speed efforts. After each step, check symptoms the next day. Conditioning, strength, and technique refinement can reduce recurrence risk, especially after ankle sprains, hamstring strains, and groin pain.

FAQs

What are the most common soccer injuries?

Ankle sprains, hamstring strains, knee injuries (including ACL and meniscus), and groin strains are common soccer injuries. Contact can also contribute to concussion and contusions.

How long does an ankle sprain take to settle?

Mild ankle sprains may improve within 1–3 weeks. More significant sprains often take 4–8+ weeks, particularly if swelling, bruising, or instability persists.

Should I play on with groin pain?

Groin pain often worsens with kicking and cutting. If pain changes how you run or kick, or if it lingers after training, reduce load and get assessed to lower the risk of a longer setback.

When can I return to soccer after a hamstring strain?

Return depends on sprint tolerance, strength, and how you feel the next day. Many players need a graded build over weeks, then a final test phase with near-max sprinting and cutting before full matches.

Next Step

If soccer injuries are limiting your training, our physiotherapists can assess movement, guide load management, and support a safe return.

References

1. Adams SR, et al. Epidemiology of time-loss injuries within an Australian male professional football club (2016/17–2020/21). J Sports Sci. 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38390955/
2. Mandorino M, et al. Injury incidence and risk factors in youth soccer players. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2022. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9806741/
3. Al Attar WSA, et al. The FIFA 11+ injury prevention program reduces the incidence of knee injury among soccer players: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sci Med Sport. 2022. https://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440%2822%2900360-7/fulltext
4. Diemer WM, et al. Incidence of acute hamstring injuries in soccer: a systematic review. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2021;51(1):27-36. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33306929/
5. Ekstrand J, et al. Hamstring injury rates have increased during recent seasons and now constitute 24% of all injuries in men’s professional football: the UEFA Elite Club Injury Study from 2001/02 to 2021/22. Br J Sports Med. 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36588400/