Is soccer good for you? Yes, but look out for sports injuries.

First formalized nearly two centuries ago in England, modern-day soccer has since grown into a global phenomenon. Today, more than 3.5 billion fans follow the game, making it the most popular sport in the world. Even in the United States – where soccer has historically taken a backseat to football, basketball and baseball – the sport is on the rise. Participation among players ages 6 and older has recently reached nearly 14.1 million, reflecting an 8.1% year-over-year increase, according to For Soccer.

“Soccer – or football as it’s called in most of the world – is known as the greatest sport on earth,” says Brandon Gilliam, men’s soccer head coach at Brigham Young University. He explains that players and spectators alike are drawn to its fast pace, strategic plays and dramatic shifts between offense and defense.

Yet the game offers more than just exciting game play and spectacle. It also delivers an impressive range of physical and mental health benefits.

How is soccer played?

A standard soccer match consists of two teams, “each with 10 field players that may not use their hands and one goalkeeper who can use their hands to protect the goal,” explains Gilliam. Standard games are typically played on a rectangular field of grass or artificial turf measuring 110 to 120 yards long by 70 to 80 yards wide, with a 24-foot-wide net at each end. Matches are split into two halves, and the objective remains simple throughout: “score more goals than your opponent by sending the ball into the opposing net,” Gilliam says.

The attacking team works to break through defenders, “through skillful dribbling or intricate passing between teammates,” he says; while defenders aim to block, intercept and force turnovers. The constant back-and-forth and large size of the playing field means players are rarely standing still. “Soccer athletes commonly run between six and seven miles during a match, with midfielders usually covering the most ground, and some professional athletes documented as running as much as 10 miles in a single game,” says Dr. Matthew Anastasi, a sports medicine specialist at Mayo Clinic.

But running is only part of it. Players also dribble, block, dive, perform a variety of powerful kicks, jump, use their foreheads to direct the ball (called heading), press opponents, tackle and pivot sharply – movements that tax nearly every muscle group.

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Why is soccer good for your physical health?

That wide range of movement makes soccer “one of the best ways to build and maintain cardiorespiratory fitness,” says Dr. Chantal Nguyen, chief resident at Stanford Medicine’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic. She notes that as soccer blends endurance training, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength work, “it can improve multiple organ systems” and offer cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic benefits. Research from the American Heart Association supports this, showing that soccer can lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and improve glucose tolerance.

From a body-composition standpoint, studies show that recreational soccer also reduces fat mass and “increases lean muscle mass,” says Nguyen, in part, because the non-stop running, sprinting and bursts of dynamic movement burn significant calories – between 500 and 600 per hour of recreational play, with professionals often expending as many as 800 to 1000. 

Musculoskeletal benefits are just as striking. “Regular exercise via soccer significantly helps strengthen the muscles in the lower extremities including quadriceps, calves and hamstrings while also providing a great core workout,” says Anastasi. “It is also a fantastic way of strengthening the gluteal muscles with all of the running that also includes lateral movements.” 

Soccer enhances flexibility and agility, “and provides a great way of working on coordination and balance when making a pass or taking a shot.” Because it is a weight-bearing exercise, he adds, soccer strengthens bones and thereby “reduces the risk for osteoporosis and osteopenia.”

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Is soccer good for your brain?

The mental and neurocognitive benefits are just as important. Playing in a team environment sharpens decision-making, spatial awareness and concentration, while also being shown to support cognitive skills like attention, processing speed and executive control. Gilliam points out that the sport fosters teamwork, leadership and communication.

That sense of belonging can reduce isolation, strengthen emotional well-being and boost self-esteem. The exertion of the game also releases endorphins and hormones like dopamine and serotonin, which are natural mood enhancers that reduce stress and anxiety.

But soccer is not without risks. One concern is head trauma from heading the ball as repeated strikes to the forehead have been linked with structural brain changes and reduced cognitive performance. Other soccer-related injuries “can typically involve lower leg joints, muscles, tendons or ligaments,” says Nguyen. Indeed, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are one of the most common injuries among soccer players.

Preventive strategies like learning proper heading techniques, limiting heading drills in younger athletes and using protective gear can all be helpful. Rest and recovery also matter. Nguyen advises doing hip strengthening and inner-thigh (adductor) exercises several times a week to help prevent groin and hip injuries and engaging in neuromuscular training programs focused on balance, coordination and safe landing techniques to protect ankles and knees.

“It is also always important to take time to warm up, maintain adequate fluid intake and frequently refuel,” Nguyen adds. “Optimizing nutrition and sleep further supports both safety and performance.”