A World Cup OrthoEvidence Update

 Did you notice a football World Cup is on? Lots of fun-filled football until Sunday 19th July, with 48 teams and over 100 matches (Wikipedia, 2026).
Why does the Health Library care? We support your interest in sports medicine and musculoskeletal conditions. OrthoEvidence – our specialist orthopaedic / musculoskletal resource – is thinking about the players and the impact of sports injuries. Their recent “The Pulse: a World Cup ortho-update” bulletin highlights 2 concerns:

The effectiveness of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury prevention programs

Training to stay in the game: ACL prevention programs
Anyone who plays sports knows how devastating an ACL rupture can be. To avoid the negative outcomes associated with it, a host of ACL injury preventions have been released over the last few years. But how truly effective are these programs?
In a recent meta-analyses published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, including 18 articles and over 25,000 athletes, the evidence suggests: very effective.

• Over 50% reduction in the risk of ACL injury
• And in soccer players? A 70% risk reduction
• Efficacy was demonstrated in other sports too

The evidence provides strong support for ACL injury prevention programs. Read the OrthoEvidence advanced clinical evidence (ACE) report

Orthopaedic Injuries in the World Cup

ACL repair is not for everyone
As the world's best players prepare for the most important tournament of their international careers, some have been left out of rosters due to orthopaedic injury.

• Rodrygo -- the Brazil Star -- out with ACL rupture.
• Ben White -- English right back -- out with medial ligament injury.
• Messi? Only just recovered in time from a hamstring injury.

Lower limb injuries naturally dominate the injury landscape given the nature of the sport. But what are the options for recovery for this year's biggest stars? Find out in this OrthoEvidence original article: Sidelined Before Kickoff: ACL Injuries and Their Impact on the 2026 FIFA World Cup

More ACE reports on OrthoEvidence

• Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Femoral Tunnel Anteromedial Portal Antegrade Drilling Versus Retrograde Drilling Techniques Using Hamstring Graft Has No Difference in Clinical Outcomes or Complications: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
• Effect of Plyometric Training on Neuromuscular Function after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Meta-analysis of Multi-dimensional Outcomes.
• Evaluation of the Efficacy of an Artificial Intelligence-Based Assessment and Correction System in the Rehabilitation of Patients Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Surgery.
• Intra-Articular Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
• Quadriceps versus hamstrings autograft in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a randomized control trial.

How to access OrthoEvidence

OrthoEvidence is available to Keele researchers and UHNM staff working in orthopaedics and musculoskeletal conditions. You need an individual username / password to access all content and sign-up to bulletins – it is not NHS OpenAthens authenticated. Please complete this online form to request access to OrthoEvidence.

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You can get regular updates with summaries of the key studies in your specialty, sent straight to your inbox. Learn more about the updates available: Set up your OrthoEvidence updates.

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Contact the Health Library for more help using OrthoEvidence.