Experts Rethink ACL Causes in Women's Football

Breaking the cycle of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in women's football requires a shift in the conversation away from biological differences such as wide hips and hormonal fluctuations during menstruation, according to experts.

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LONDON —

Instead, the focus should be on risk factors that can be controlled, they say.

The Women's Euro 2025, which kicked off on July 2, will be without Swiss striker Ramona Bachmann, who will miss the tournament hosted by her country after tearing her ACL less than three weeks ago, underscoring the devastation the knee injury can cause in the women's game.

While studies show women are up to eight times more susceptible to ACL tears than men, there is scant research on the injury in professional women's football.

"We want to move away from these kinds of stereotypical views that women are just more susceptible to it because of the way that their bodies are," said Alex Culvin, head of strategy and research for women's football at global players' union Fifpro.

"They can't take the high workload — all of these are quite nonsensical, illogical, overly feminized ways of looking at ACL injury.

"We really want to home in on things that we can affect.