Concussion and Head Injuries in Soccer: Research Trends, Knowledge Structure, and Emerging Themes

Introduction

Soccer is the world's most widely played sport and exposes athletes to a distinctive combination of acute concussion risk and repetitive head-impact exposure. Player-to-player contact, aerial challenges, falls, and purposeful heading all contribute to the spectrum of head impacts encountered in the sport. Although the literature has expanded substantially, its development, disciplinary structure, geographic distribution, and evolving research priorities have not been comprehensively characterized. This study maps the research landscape of concussion and head injury in soccer and identifies major contributors, knowledge clusters, and emerging themes.