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Football is an entertaining sport, and its unpredictable nature excites fans. However, as exciting as it is to the audience, it comes with many risks to the players. The worst football injuries in football history caused much damage to players, some leading to early retirement.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Some of the worst football injuries in history have been life-altering, and others threaten a football career. To list the worst football injuries, we used data from several sources, including One Football, Give Me Sport, and Bleacher Report.
Some players have suffered from injuries that changed their career lives entirely because of the impact the fractures had on their bodies. Below are some of the worst injuries in football history.
| Football player | Injury | Year | |
| 1 | David Busst | Tibia and fibula fractures | 1996 |
| 2 | Eduardo da Silva | Broken leg and dislocated ankle | 2008 |
| 3 | Luc Nilis | Shin fracture | 2000 |
| 4 | Henrik Larsson | Leg fracture | 1999 |
| 5 | Djibril Cisse | Leg fracture | 2004 |
| 6 | Alf-Inge Haaland | Knee injury | 2001 |
| 7 | Alan Smith | Broken leg and dislocated ankle | 2006 |
| 8 | Patrick Battiston | Broken teeth, ribs and damaged vertebrae | 1982 |
| 9 | Radamel Falcao | Injured knee | 2014 |
| 10 | Neymar | Fractured vertebra | 2014 |
| 11 | Aaron Ramsey | Broken leg | 2010 |
| 12 | Luke Shaw | Double leg fracture | 2015 |
| 13 | Kieron Dyer | Tibia and fibula fracture | 2007 |
| 14 | Roberto Baggio | ACL rupture | 2002 |
| 15 | Marcin Wasilewski | Leg fracture | 2009 |
1. David Busst
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David Busst suffered one of the worst football leg breaks in 1996 while playing for Coventry against Manchester United. Both his tibia and fibula on his right leg fractured.
He underwent multiple surgeries but could not return to playing. According to the New York Times, the player explained what was on his mind when he got the injury.
I just froze. I had the feeling of knowing something wasn't in the right place. I thought, 'Don't move, and the pain will go away, but the pain didn't go away'. I was scared to move as Dion Dublin had a sheer look of horror on his face.The injuries were so bad that he considered amputating his leg, but that did not happen. In a documentary on ITV Sport, the former player said he underwent 24 surgeries. The injury led to his retirement as a professional player, which he did in November 1996. David Busst is working with Coventry's Sky Blues in The Community charity.
2. Eduardo da Silva
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Eduardo da Silva suffered one of the horrific football injuries in February 2008 when he was playing for Arsenal against Birmingham City. The challenge between the player and Martin Taylor left him with a broken left leg and dislocated ankle. According to UEFA, when he was taken to the hospital, the medical staff was shocked by the seriousness of the injury.
The injury kept him out of action until February 2009, when he returned to the field to replace Ivica Olic in a match between Romania and Croatia. He later moved to Shakhtar Donetsk in July 2010 and played for the team until his retirement in 2018.
3. Luc Nilis
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Luc Nilis' 2000 injury is also one of the bad injuries in football. He collided with Ipswich goalkeeper Richard Wright, and this led to a double compound fracture of his right shin. He underwent surgery and rehabilitation and almost had his leg amputated because the wounds got infected.
According to Sky Sports, being told that he would lose part of his leg was the worst moment of his life.
It was the worst moment of my life to be told I might have to lose part of my leg - that will live with me forever.Luckily, he did not go through amputation, but his career was cut short because he could not be able to play again due to the fracture the injury caused. He is currently the striker coach of Patro Eisden.
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Henrik Larsson suffered an injury in 1999 while playing for Celtic against Lyon. The football player collided with Serge Blanc, breaking his leg in two parts. It took eight months for his recovery, and the player returned to action. He has since played for other teams, including Barcelona, Manchester United, and Helsingborg.
5. Djibril Cisse
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Former France forward Djibri Cisse suffered two bad injuries that affected his career. His first injury occurred on 30 October 2004 while playing for Liverpool. He collided with Blackburn's Jay McEveley, and his boot got caught in the turf, causing his left leg to snap. The injury put him on the sidelines for seven months.
In 2006, he fractured his other leg during a World Cup warm-up. The second injury was more horrific. After recovering, he continued to play for clubs such as Marseille and Panathinaikos. However, in 2016, he quit football. The former player is now focusing on his disk jockey career.
6. Alf-Inge Haaland
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Alf-Inge is a Norwegian former professional footballer. In 2001, he suffered a terrific injury after Roy Keane tackled him, kicking his right knee. The incident caused rivalry between the players because Roy was immediately sent off. Alfie Haaland revealed in a documentary that Roy Keane was seeking revenge.
It was a willing intent, and he was seeking revenge…That's a bit sad for football, and it was not good for me either at that time.Alf-Inge underwent surgery and made five appearances in the following season. The player retired from football in 2003 and now works for the oil industry.
7. Alan Smith
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Alan Smith, an English former football player, suffered a broken leg and a dislocated ankle in 2006 when he blocked a free kick from John Arne Riise during an FA Cup match against Liverpool.
The player returned to the field after seven months and played for Two Side Notts County until his retirement in 2018. According to Give Me Sport, he never fully recovered from the incident and struggles to walk today.
8. Patrick Battiston
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Patrick Battiston's injury is among the worst in football history. In 1982, he collided with goalkeeper Harald Schumacher during a World Cup semi-final between France and West Germany.
The incident left him with broken teeth, ribs and damaged vertebrae. He was in a coma due to the injuries. Despite the incident, he did not retire from football until 1991.
9. Radamel Falcao
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The Colombian footballer suffered a horrific injury on 22 January 2014 during a match between Monaco and Lyon. He was left with an injured knee, making him miss the 2014 World Cup. He underwent an ACL reconstruction in January 2014, and in October 2014, he started to play again.
10. Neymar
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Brazil's all-time top goalscorer, Neymar da Silva, suffered a fractured vertebra during the 2014 World Cup. A Colombian defender, Juan Zuniga, hit his back with his knee, sending him to the ground.
He was later diagnosed with a broken bone in his back. In an interview on YouTube, the player said that the doctor had told him he would not play in the World Cup.
I have two pieces of news…the bad one; you can't play the World Cup. It is over for you. The good one is that afterwards, you will be able to walk because two centimetres to the side, football is over for you.11. Aaron Ramsey
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Aaron Ramsey's broken leg injury kept him on the sidelines for nine months. He suffered the injury in 2010 after a tackle from Ryan Shawcross during a match between Stoke City and Arsenal.
It took the player nine months to recover, and he returned to play again. In an interview with Sky Sports Premier League, the football player said that the injury affected his way of doing things compared to before the injury.
12. Luke Shaw
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Luke Shaw suffered a career-threatening injury on 15 September 2015 during a match between Manchester United and PSV Eindhoven. A flying tackle by PSV defender Hector Moreno caused a double leg fracture. According to Eurosport.com, he almost lost one of his legs because even after surgery, he suffered from two blood clots.
The football player walked with crutches for six months. He recovered after 11 months and returned in their Community Shield win against Leicester in August 2016.
13. Kieron Dyer
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In 2007, during a match between West Ham United and Bristol Rovers, Kieron Dyer suffered one of the worst injuries in football history. He suffered a leg injury that fractured both his tibia and fibula, marking the beginning of a challenging phase in his career.
The football player underwent several surgeries, and it took some time for him to recover, and many thought his career was over. He recovered after 17 months.
14. Roberto Baggio
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Roberto Baggio suffered a devastating knee injury while playing for the football team Brescia in a match against Parma in 2002. His anterior cruciate ligament ruptured, and an injury to the inner meniscus of the left knee.
Roberto Baggio recovered after 76 days, returned to the pitch, and scored two goals. Although his comeback was inspirational, the injury affected his performance, and he retired in 2004.
15. Marcin Wasilewski
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The Polish football player suffered one of the most horrific injuries in football history in 2009. The incident happened during a match between Anderlecht and Standard Liège. His leg fractured after a challenge by Axel Witsel.
His tibia and fibula fractured, putting him on the sidelines for over a year. He underwent corrective surgery for open fractures and made a comeback in 2010.
The worst injury in football history occurred in 1996 when David Burst, who then played for Manchester United. The impact of the injury led to a compound fracture of both his tibia and fibula.
The Brazilian football player has about 15 injuries, including a Hamstring injury (2019), cruciate ligament tear (2023), Bruised ribs (2020) and ankle injury (2021)
The worst football injuries in history have shown the risks associated with football. Some players who suffered the injuries ended up retiring early, and others' long-term health was also affected. However, some players were lucky enough to recover and continue their football careers.
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