Fri, January 23, 2026
FIFPRO study shows three concussions may affect attention in professional footballers
In a recent study conducted by FIFPRO, the global union for professional footballers, it showed that players who reported three concussions performed significantly worse in tasks requiring attention, such as tracking the ball and opponents, maintaining positional awareness and reacting quickly during a match, compared with those who had two or fewer concussions, sparking calls for further research.
As part of the Drake Football Study, a ten-year study which tracks the physical and mental health of 170 men’s and women’s footballers and which has previously reported on osteoarthritis, gynaecological health and mental health, 68 professional women footballers participated in the neurocognitive function study which revealed these results.
43% of the women involved had experienced at least 1 concussion, with defenders being exposed the most with 50% of them having sustained one or more concussions. They completed online cognitive tests which measured memory, attention, reaction time and other mental abilities.
Professor Dr Vincent Gouttebarge, FIFPRO’s Medical Director, stated: “Generally, the study suggests that women footballers do not show widespread cognitive problems during their career, but repeated concussions might have a meaningful impact on attention and this should be analysed with further research.”
Gouttebarge continued: “Women’s football has historically been under-represented in sports concussion research, meaning this study contributes valuable, female-specific evidence…
The reassuring news is that women professional footballers do not show widespread cognitive problems during their playing careers – in fact, high levels of physical activity may help support overall brain health…
We conducted the same analyses in professional men footballers and found similar findings, namely that most neurocognitive functions do not show significant deficits/impairments but that concussion led to a decrease in simple and complex attention. While these analyses do not provide enough evidence to draw up new health guidelines around concussion, they reinforce the need in both women’s and men’s football for careful management – including a return-to-play protocol – when a player suffers from a concussion, and even more in case of repeated concussions.”
In comparison to the general public, the professionals scored within the normal range in 11 of 12 cognitive domains, however, motor speed, which is the speed at which the brain can send a signal, and the body can carry it out, was above average for the players.
Elsewhere, the Premier League, along with other leagues and player unions, are calling for football lawmakers to trial temporary concussion substitutes to improve player welfare. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has previously dismissed calls for trialling temporary concussion substitutes, such as during its AGM in March 2023, after a group of leagues proposed the trial.
In 2024, permanent concussion substitutes were introduced and IFAB believes this is sufficient. This means once a player has concussion, they cannot go back on the pitch, but the Premier League argues that only using permanent substitutes means players are less likely to leave the match even if they have experienced concussion. With temporary substitutes, players are removed for a check-up for around 10 -15 minutes and can make a return if not concussed. According to its research, between 27% and 53% of players diagnosed with a concussion are not immediately replaced with only permanent substitutes allowed.
FIFPRO’s statement can be found here.
