Image Source: Goal.com 

Soccer can get rough, and while we usually focus on shin guards and muscle strains, facial injuries are no joke. In fact, soccer has a high rate of facial injuries, and the recent uptick of players wearing face masks is evidence of this. So don’t take them lightly. whether it’s a stray elbow, an unfortunate clash of heads, or just plain bad luck, here are three facial injuries that can really mess up your day on the field.

1. Broken Nose  

You don’t need to take a direct hit to the face to break your nose in soccer. More often than not, it happens during those intense aerial duels when players leap to head the ball. One miscalculation, and bam—your opponent’s head or elbow finds your nose instead of the ball. Think back to Euro 2024 when Mbappe collided with Austria’s Kevin Danso during a match in Dusseldorf. And that’s not all: a strong shot aimed at your face at close range can have the same effect. 

Of course, a broken nose isn’t the kind of injury you can muscle your way  through—it needs immediate medical attention. Depending on the severity, it may even require surgery. 

2. Black Eye  

Black eyes—aka shiners—are part of the game for many players. Whether it’s from a contested header, an accidental elbow, or a fall that ends with your face smacking the ground, black eyes are pretty common. The good news? They usually look worse than they feel. The bad news? They can make you look like you went 10 rounds with a prizefighter.

Most of the time, you can treat a black eye with ice and a little rest. But if you start seeing double, then that black eye will need a doctor’s attention.

3. Corneal Abrasion  

Getting poked in the eye during a corner kick scrum or while fighting for position is more than just annoying—it can lead to a corneal abrasion. This injury might sound fancy, but it’s just a scratched eye. However, don’t take it lightly. Scratches on the surface of your eye can cause pain, blurry vision, and even make you extra sensitive to light.

A little rest and some prescribed eye drops usually do the trick. However,  if the pain or vision issues don’t improve quickly, you’ll need to get it checked out to avoid long-term damage.

4. Dental Trauma

Don’t expect the tooth fairy to put $5 under your boots, but yes, soccer players get their teeth knocked out sometimes—like Callum Wilson did back in 2022. Chipped teeth, knocked out teeth, and bloody gums can ensue whether a player takes an elbow, ball or kick to the face. And they’re common too: one study found that as many as 54% of soccer players who had maxillofacial injuries had dental trauma of sorts. 

Image Source: talkSPORT

Now if you’re tough guy or gal, you might smile to freak people out with your new toothless gap. However, dental injuries are serious and usually require a visit to the dentist or orthodontist for repairs. 

Protect Yourself: What Can You Do?

Facial injuries in soccer aren’t entirely avoidable, but you can lower the risk. Reducing that likelihood comes down to two things: 1) Wearing protective gear, 2) Becoming more agile on the pitch. 

Wear a Face Mask (especially if you’ve been injured already)

The 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024 tournaments have seemed to solidify face masks as useful pieces of protective gear. There hasn’t been extensive research on them, but they appear to offer some protection against facial injuries. That’s especially true if you’re already dealing with a facial injury. It won’t make you invincible, but it can offer protection while you heal.

Improve Spatial Awareness

Knowing where your teammates and opponents are positioned in relation to you might be the most crucial tip on this list. The more visual “targets” you can spot—and by targets we mean other bodies on the field—the easier it is for you to avoid accidental collisions with them. The good news is that spatial awareness is a trainable skill by means of vision exercises that can extend your sight plane and sharpen your reflexes. 

Mouthguards

Yes, they’re not just for hockey. Mouthguards can help protect your teeth and jaw from unexpected blows, which happen a lot in soccer. As we mentioned above, dental trauma is a common consequence of head and facial injuries. A good old-fashioned mouthguard can offer some protection in case you take a hit to the teeth and gums. Best of all, they’re easy to put on and don’t cost too much. 

Consider Wearing Headgear

Soccer headgear might not be the most common piece of gear, but it’s out there. Designed to protect players during collisions—whether it’s with another player, a goalpost, or the ground—headgear offers some cushioning against impacts. 

There’s skepticism about the efficacy of soccer headgear, but simulations of head trauma during soccer games show that head guards significantly reduce impact forces sustained to the head. 

In fact, our ExoShield headguard reduced cranial impact forces by 84%. That’s a lot. Headgear won’t make you untouchable, but it can potentially shield you from hard hits to the head, as well as bumps and bruises. 

Facing the Facts on Facial Injuries

Facial injuries might not happen every game, but when they do, they can leave a mark—literally. By taking a few preventive measures, you can reduce the risk and stay in the game with your face intact. And as tough and strong as we are, wouldn’t soccer be more enjoyable without the scars, bloody noses and black eyes? We think so!