FIFA has tracked match injuries in all tournaments since 1998. The most recently available study by FIFA on world cup injuries was published in 2015, and provides injury data from the 2014 world cup in Brazil. 104 injuries were reported during the tournament, which, interestingly was significantly lower than the 4 previous world cup tournaments, with the overall incidence of injury during the FIFA World Cups decreased from 2002 to 2014 by 37%. 63% of injuries were “contact injuries”, caused by contact with another player. The most frequently injured body parts were the thigh, and the head. 18 thigh strains were reported, along with 5 concussions and 3 fractures to the head. 88% of thigh injuries occurred without contact and would most likely have been caused by high speed running or kicking. 94% of head injuries were caused by contact.
It was interesting to follow the rate of injury in this years World Cup in Qatar. The competition was moved from it’s usual June-July scheduling, to avoid the most intense of the summer heat in the host nation. Many teams will have completed training camps in high temperature regions to prepare and acclimatise to the high temperatures in Qatar, in a hope of mitigating the increased risk of injury caused by the heat. High temperatures can increase the risk of injury, as increased body temperature leads to decreased muscular endurance. Along with this, the body is forced to use up its energy supplies more quickly, as the heat causes a shift from aerobic to anaerobic energy production, which means fatigue can become a contributing factor. Dehydration is also a major factor to consider. Dehydration causes a decrease in VO2max, meaning the body’s ability to utilize oxygen efficiently may be compromised, which may also contribute to fatigue and therefore to an increased risk of injury.
Due to the change from usual World Cup scheduling, the tournament is now falling within the European club season, giving any injured players less time to recover. With the club season pausing on November 14th and the World cup having commenced on November 20th, several high profile players missed out. To name just a few - Karim Benzema of France has been ruled out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after tearing a muscle in his left thigh. Paul Pogba will also miss France's World Cup campaign as he continues his recovery from a knee injury suffered in July. Senegal’s Sadio Mane also missed out having suffered an injury in early November requiring surgery on his head of fibula. Georginio Wijnaldum of the Netherlands did not compete as he continues to recover from a fractured tibia.
As for the Final…… Well who would begrudge Messi the win!!!
References:
Junge A, Dvořák J, Football injuries during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, British Journal of Sports Medicine 2015;49:599-602.