In early 2023, Leah Williamson was at the height of her career—leading Arsenal and England with confidence, featured in major campaigns ahead of the Women’s World Cup, and widely regarded as one of the sport’s most reliable defenders. But everything changed in an instant. A torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) not only robbed her of World Cup glory but placed her among a growing list of elite players sidelined by a devastating injury.
Williamson wasn’t alone. She was one of nearly 30 elite players who missed the 2023 Women’s World Cup due to ACL tears—a staggering statistic that has become impossible to ignore. As women’s football gains global momentum, the physical toll on players is drawing attention to an unsettling reality: ACL injuries are disproportionately affecting female athletes, threatening not only their health but also their careers, mental well-being, and commercial opportunities.
A Career-Derailing Injury
An ACL injury is not just a physical setback. It’s often a career-altering event, requiring surgery and a grueling rehabilitation period of at least 9 to 12 months. In a sport where peak performance years are limited, losing nearly a full season can derail a player’s progress and visibility.
Players like Beth Mead, who also tore her ACL during the 2022-23 season, missed the World Cup and endured personal heartbreak with the passing of her mother. Mead, now back with England for the Euros, has spoken candidly about the mental health struggles that accompanied her injury. “Because of the injury I couldn’t play football, which was always my escape, my happy place,” she said. “Moments when people thought I was fine because of my outgoing personality, were very dark.”
It’s a common experience. ACL recovery can be isolating, frustrating, and emotionally draining—especially for female players who often don’t have access to the same level of rehab facilities and support systems as their male counterparts.
The Numbers Speak Volumes
While ACL injuries account for just 2% of all time-loss injuries in elite women’s football, women are up to eight times more likely to suffer an ACL tear than men. The disparity is even more alarming at the youth level, where girls between the ages of 15 and 19 are most vulnerable.
According to FIFA’s Chief Medical Officer Zoran Bahtijarevic, as participation in women’s football surges worldwide, especially among youth players, the rate of ACL injuries is also climbing. A recent report by Nielsen Sports and PepsiCo highlighted a 300% increase in girl players in China and a 150% rise in France, signaling a potential injury epidemic bubbling beneath the professional level.
For elite clubs, the problem is already visible. Arsenal, for example, lost four key players—including Williamson and Mead—to ACL injuries within a six-month span. Australia’s Sam Kerr, one of the most prolific strikers in the game, also joined the list after tearing her ACL in early 2024. Over 500 elite female players have suffered ACL injuries since 2022, a number that underscores the scale of the issue.
Why Are Women More Susceptible?
Experts like Alex Culvin, Head of Strategy and Research for Women’s Football at FIFPRO, stress that the answer isn’t simple. “People want a quick fix,” she says. “But ACL injury is multifactorial.” It’s not just about how women land or run—it’s about a combination of physiological, environmental, and structural issues.
Women’s anatomy, hormonal fluctuations, muscle strength imbalance, and biomechanics have all been cited as possible contributors. A FIFA-funded study at Kingston University is currently examining the role of menstrual cycle phases in ligament vulnerability, but results are still emerging.
What’s becoming increasingly clear is that non-modifiable factors (like female physiology) must be considered alongside modifiable ones—like workload, training environment, scheduling, and field conditions. Culvin and her team are working on Project ACL, a three-year collaborative study between FIFPRO, the Professional Footballers’ Association, Nike, and Leeds Beckett University, to identify and address these modifiable risk factors in the Women’s Super League, with plans to expand further.
Commercial and Career Consequences
An ACL tear doesn’t just pause a player’s athletic performance—it also impacts commercial deals, media presence, and future earnings. As Culvin pointed out, Leah Williamson was “Nike’s poster person” ahead of the 2023 World Cup. That momentum vanished the moment she got injured. While she’s made a strong comeback, the lost exposure during one of football’s biggest events could never be fully regained.
For emerging talents or fringe players, the cost is even higher. Missing a major tournament can mean never getting another shot at international recognition or a big club transfer.
A Call for Systemic Change
The increase in ACL injuries highlights a disturbing truth: women’s football is growing faster than the infrastructure built to support it. There’s often a mismatch between the level of professionalism demanded from players and the quality of care, training, and facilities available to them.
From compressed match calendars to inadequate rest periods, from inferior pitches to lack of gender-specific injury prevention programs, many systemic issues are putting elite female athletes at unnecessary risk.
What’s needed is a holistic approach—one that includes data-backed injury prevention protocols, gender-specific strength training, menstrual health monitoring, and improved working conditions. Most importantly, clubs, federations, and governing bodies must stop treating women’s injuries as inevitable and start treating them as preventable and urgent.
Hope on the Horizon
Despite the alarming rise in injuries, progress is being made. Research initiatives like Project ACL are gaining traction, and conversations around mental health, menstrual health, and injury recovery are becoming more normalized in women’s sports.
Players are also using their platforms to raise awareness. Beth Mead, Leah Williamson, and Sam Kerr have all become advocates for safer playing conditions and stronger player welfare. Their voices, combined with scientific research and public support, can push the sport toward a future where ACL injuries are not an accepted part of the game—but a solved problem.
The surge in ACL injuries is not just a crisis of health—it’s a crisis of equality. As women’s football continues to soar, its players deserve not only stadiums full of fans and global endorsements, but also environments that protect their bodies, support their recovery, and secure their futures. Because no championship is worth the price of silence, suffering, or an avoidable injury.
