Real-world injury patterns in Portuguese professional football: risk profiles and socioeconomic concerns

Abstract

Football is a high-intensity sport involving frequent contact and high physical demands, making injuries common. In Portugal, where football plays a major economic role, especially through player transfers, injuries carry both sporting and financial consequences. This study examines injury incidence and severity among professional players in the First and Second Leagues across five seasons (2016/17–2020/21), considering intrinsic (age, nationality) and extrinsic factors (tactical position, match participation, league, and environment). Using real-world data and quantitative methods, including descriptive, inferential statistics, and cluster analysis, findings show that injury incidence is associated with league level and nationality, while severity is influenced by league level and match participation. Although more injuries occurred in the First League, they were more severe in the Second League. Cluster analysis confirmed these patterns, revealing higher incidence among non-European players and greater severity among those with low match participation competing in the Second League.