Conmebol presents its first study on concussions in South American soccer

Asunción, Paraguay. The South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) announced the results of its first case study on concussions that occurred in its men’s tournaments between 2022 and 2024, marking a milestone in regional sports medicine. The report, prepared by the Conmebol Medical Commission, collects information on injuries detected in 930 matches, with the participation of 5,928 players between 15 and 44 years old.

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The president of the Medical Commission, Osvaldo Pangrazio, highlighted that it is the first large-scale prospective study on concussions in South American football, which allowed for the successful implementation of its own protocol to identify brain injuries during matches.

“It is a unique opportunity to have centralized all the information of the official matches in the Medical Commission. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of the Conmebol protocol to detect serious concussions on the field,” Pangrazio emphasized.

Key findings of the study

The analysis identified 27 cases of concussion that required the player’s immediate removal from the field.

37% occurred between minutes 21 and 45 of the match.
60% of the cases affected visiting players.
2.6 concussions were recorded per 1,000 hours of play.

Furthermore, the study details that the most frequent injuries in Conmebol tournaments during the last three years were:

Muscle strains – 121 cases
Muscle tears – 45 cases
Ankle sprains – 38 cases
Mild concussions – 23 cases
Knee sprains with medial collateral ligament involvement – 23 cases

Pangrazio also noted a variation in the incidence of injuries depending on the altitude, with a higher number of cases in cities located between 1,000 and 3,000 meters above sea level.

Medical protocol adapted to the region

The Rapid Concussion Recognition Protocol requires team doctors to fill out a form after each game, even when no injury has been recorded, in order to maintain a complete and standardized database.

“Our study presents a culturally adapted concussion detection protocol implemented by Conmebol,” explained Pangrazio.

Comparison with UEFA

The Conmebol and UEFA jointly conducted an additional study to compare the incidences and patterns of injuries in the 2024 Copa América and the 2024 Eurocup.

A total of 85 injuries were recorded (4 per 1,000 hours of play or training).
The Copa América presented a rate of 4.2 injuries per 1,000 hours, while the Euro Cup recorded 3.9, although with greater severity and more average days of absence per player.

Commitment to Player Health

With this pioneering study, Conmebol reinforces its commitment to the safety and well-being of footballers, prioritizing scientific research and the application of cutting-edge medical protocols in its competitions.