Cutting-Edge Research on Physical Fitness Profile in Soccer Players: 2nd Edition
A special issue of Sports (ISSN 2075-4663).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 18 January 2026 | Viewed by 321
Special Issue Editor
Interests: soccer; football; performance; fitness; training
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Football is a sport characterized by high physical demands, with professional players covering approximately 11 kilometers per match—about 10% of which involves high-intensity running. Beyond this, they perform frequent intense actions, such as sprints, tackles, and accelerations, which often determine the outcome of a game. In recent years, the pace and intensity of matches have increased significantly due to tactical evolution and congested competition schedules. This has placed even greater emphasis on the development and maintenance of optimal physical fitness, recovery strategies, and injury prevention.
To manage these challenges effectively, coaches and practitioners increasingly rely on advanced technologies for monitoring and training. While GPS systems are now standard in professional environments, recent advancements—including inertial measurement units (IMUs), optical tracking systems, and machine learning algorithms—enable more detailed analysis of training loads and player performance. Furthermore, emerging artificial intelligence (AI) applications are beginning to transform training design, individualized load management, and performance prediction.
This Special Issue aims to bring together high-quality original research, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses addressing the multifaceted components of soccer fitness across all levels of play. We encourage submissions that explore the evolving physical fitness profiles of football players in response to modern game demands, with a particular emphasis on developmental stages, injury risk, recovery kinetics, and holistic player well-being. Studies employing innovative training methods, periodization strategies, and the integration of advanced technologies and AI-based tools in coaching are particularly welcome.
By covering both youth and adult populations, this Special Issue seeks to offer a comprehensive view of how scientific insights and technological progress are shaping the future of football performance.
Dr. Ioannis Michailidis
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sports is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- soccer
- football
- fitness
- physical condition
- training load
- GPS
- inertial measurement units
- tracking systems
- machine learning
- fitness profile
- strength
- aerobic capacity
- anaerobic capacity
- flexibility
- agility
- injury prevention
- recovery
- artificial intelligence
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