The science on why female soccer players are at much higher risk of career-ending ACL injuries

Analysis: women are around three times more likely to suffer the devastating ACL injury compared with men

By Colin Ayre, University of Bradford; Paul Millington, University of Bradford, and Stephen Paul Guy, University of Leeds

Women's football is riding high and this year will see the FIFA Women's World Cup kick off in July. The popularity of the women's game has led to more girls than ever before playing the sport. But alongside this has been a rise in knee injuries, in particular to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in female players.

The ACL is a ligament in the knee that provides stability. If injured the knee can be susceptible to giving way, especially during sports. This injury often requires surgery and prolonged periods of rehabilitation. Even then, not all will return to the same level of play, so it's an especially devastating injury for athletes.

A spate of high profile ACL injuries in women's football including England player Beth Mead, awarded BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Spain's Alexia Putellas winner of the international football award the Ballon d'Or – along with 25% of the 2022 nominees – has resulted in calls for further research to understand the factors associated with ACL injury and the disparity in injury rates between men and women.

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From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, why does Ireland have such a high rate of ACL injuries?

It has long been known that females are around three times more likely to suffer ACL injury compared with men. One