The English Football Association (FA) and the Women’s Super League (WSL), which organises England’s women’s competition, have launched major research into anterior cruciate ligament injuries in women’s football. The research will examine why these serious knee injuries occur and how they can be reduced. All clubs in the WSL and WSL2 have been invited to participate. It is funded by the English league and conducted by Imperial College London.

Earlier research identified possible risk factors including anatomical and hormonal factors, but these have often been studied separately or under controlled conditions. The new research will examine how such factors interact in the daily practice of women’s football. In the Netherlands, the University Medical Centre Groningen began a related study in 2024 among female amateur footballers aged 19 to 21, commissioned by UEFA and supported by the KNVB. That study is ongoing; its first preliminary finding was that underestimating pressure may be a risk factor, as the combination of sport, school, paid work and social life can contribute to stress and fatigue.