Player Injuries Cost European Clubs €3.45 Billion Over Five Years

Player injuries have cost Europe’s leading football clubs an estimated €3.45 billion over the past five years, according to the Men’s European Football Injury Index, presented in London.

The report recorded 22,596 injuries across Europe’s top domestic leagues between 2020 and 2025, with the financial estimate based on the assumption that clubs continue paying full salaries to injured players during their absence.

Premier League clubs accounted for a disproportionate share of both injuries and costs. English top-flight teams suffered 5,367 injuries during the five-year period—nearly a quarter of the total—at an estimated wage cost of €1.38 billion. On average, this equates to more than €250 million per season, largely reflecting the league’s higher wage structure compared with other European competitions.

Among English clubs, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Newcastle United recorded the highest number of injuries since 2020. Manchester United topped the list with 399 injuries, followed by Chelsea with 357 and Newcastle with 355. United also incurred the highest injury-related wage costs among the Premier League’s traditional “big four,” amounting to €179.2 million over the five-year period.

Across Europe, the 2023/24 season proved the most expensive overall, with injury-related costs reaching €836 million, while August 2023 was identified as the most costly month ever recorded.

Although the total number of injuries rose again in the 2024/25 season, associated wage costs fell by €160 million, a trend attributed to fewer long-term absences among the highest-paid players.

A closely watched element of this year’s report was the impact of FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup. During the tournament itself, the nine participating clubs from Europe’s top five leagues sustained 25 injuries, the same number as during the equivalent period a year earlier. However, the months that followed told a different story.

Club World Cup champions Chelsea, who played the most matches in the competition, recorded 23 injuries between June and October 2025, a 44% increase compared with the same period the previous season. Manchester City, meanwhile, emerged unscathed during the tournament but suffered 22 injuries in the immediate months afterwards, including consecutive setbacks to star midfielder Rodri, who returned early to compete in FIFA’s new elite club competition.

Historically, injury spikes linked to summer tournaments tend to appear later in the calendar, particularly between November and January. Beyond scheduling pressures, the report highlights a concerning trend among younger players. Footballers under the age of 21 emerged as the most injury-prone demographic, challenging assumptions that older players face the greatest physical risk.

In the Premier League, attackers under 21 years old suffered an injury approximately once every seven matches, underlining growing concerns over workload and player welfare at the elite level.