Sport science and sport medicine research in highly trained, elite and world-class female soccer players: a secondary analysis and update of an existing scoping review

There are currently more than 30 well-established elite women’s soccer leagues worldwide, with 32 nations set to compete in the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Alongside this, participation has expanded substantially, with more than 16.6 million women and girls participating in organised soccer worldwide, including 19,064 professional players (1). Despite this growth, a sex-based bias in sport science and sport medicine (SS/SM) research remains (2–4) and data typically focusing on recreational athletes in both male and female research (5,6). Specifically, only ~20% of soccer-related research has been conducted in females (7). Previous research examining SS/SM research in women’s soccer has identified variation in the playing levels represented within the literature, with 27% of studies including elite soccer and 3% examining high-level soccer. Within this, only 1% including data from the Olympic games and 4% included FIFA World Cup data (8). This suggests that research at the highest levels of women’s soccer remains relatively limited. Interestingly, a recent review reported ~47% of tier-level counts represented Tier 3 athletes (high/trained/national level) across football codes (9). Moreover, the women's game has undergone considerable development in recent years, including increased professionalisation, resulting in an increase in frequency, intensity, and competitiveness of both training and matches (10–12). Importantly, these demands may be further elevated in international competition; the same elite female players have been shown to perform more high-intensity running and sprinting during international compared with domestic matches (13), highlighting the greater physical demands associated with the highest levels of competition. These developments have increased the demands placed on female players and further emphasise the need for an evidence base that reflects the elite women’s game. Considering this, there is a need for a soccer-specific synthesis of SS/SM research at the highest levels of the women’s game. Building on the broader SS/SM review by Galan-Lopez et al. (2026), this secondary analysis will provide a soccer-specific assessment of the SS/SM evidence base in highly trained, elite and world-class women's soccer. By examining the populations, research topics and areas of investigation represented within the literature, the analysis will identify areas of research concentration and underrepresentation, highlight evidence gaps, and inform priorities for future research aimed at supporting female soccer players.