Football Experts in Madrid Discuss Reducing Muscle Injuries Through AI Technologies
The Spanish Football Federation headquarters in Las Rozas, Madrid, hosted the SCS Football Lab 2026 conference, which focused on competitive load management strategies and the prevention of muscle injuries. The event saw wide attendance from experts and representatives of major clubs across Europe and America, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, and Kansas City. Discussions centered on the increasing physical challenges faced by players amid fixture congestion and rising competitive intensity.
The conference showcased the InjuryPro tool, an explainable AI-based technology developed by Professor Pedro Emilio Alcaraz's team, director of UCAM's High Performance Sports Research Center. This technology aims to predict the risk of muscle injuries, which continue to rise despite technological advancements. Alcaraz stated, “We see that by using new tools, we can predict the risks of muscle injury which, despite all the progress made, increase year after year.”
Participants addressed the issue of physical fatigue resulting from the density of competitions, particularly the impact of crowded schedules on players ahead of the upcoming World Cup. Pedro Emilio Alcaraz, president of the SCS Strength and Conditioning Association, explained that “the excessive increase in competition and training loads causes a large number of injuries, especially muscle injuries, which we can avoid.” Meanwhile, Francesc Cos, Sports Performance Director at City Football Group, highlighted the complexity of the situation, saying, “Injuries are not decreasing, but the intensity of play in football has also increased.”
These discussions come at a time when scientific studies indicate that European leagues, including Spain's La Liga, suffer from high stress levels that increase the likelihood of star players sustaining physical injuries. The Madrid discussions underscored the importance of integrating advanced technology to counter the pressures imposed by the current match agenda on the world's elite football clubs.
