Soccer-Winter World Cup led to increased injury severity in Europe's top leagues - study

Soccer Football - Euro 2024 Qualifier - England Press Conference - Tose Proeski Arena, Skopje, North Macedonia - November 19, 2023 General view inside the stadium ahead of the press conference Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

(Reuters) - The mid-season World Cup in Qatar last year led to players from Europe's top five leagues spending an average of eight days longer on the sidelines due to injury in the months after the tournament, a study has revealed.

Insurance group Howden published its European Football Injury Index for the 2022-23 season a year after the World Cup having studied the effects fixture congestion had on player welfare last season.