Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young competitive athletes (<35 years old) is a tragic event that has been brought to public attention in the past few decades. The incidence of SCD is reported to be 1-2/100,000 per year, with athletes at a 2.5 times higher risk. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, played by people of all ages. However, unfortunately it is cardiovascular diseases such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy that have subtly missed screening and claimed the lives of soccer stars such as Marc Vivien Foe and Antonio Puerta during live action on the field and on an internationally televised stage. This paper covers the physiological demands of soccer and the relationship between soccer and SCD. It also reviews the most common causes of SCD in young athletes, discusses the current guidelines in place by The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) for screening among professional soccer players, and the precautions that have been put in place to prevent SCD on the field in professional soccer. 1. Introduction Due to its tragic and unexpected nature, sudden cardiac death (SCD) in athletes has been brought to public attention in recent decades. The incidence of SCD has been reported to be approximately 1-2 per 100,000 person-years, with a 2.5 times higher risk in athletes when compared with nonathletes [1]. SCD in athletes is most commonly due to congenital and/or acquired cardiovascular disease. Different studies have reported various cardiac diseases as the most common cause. In studies done in the United States, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) was the most common cause, followed by congenital coronary artery anomalies (CCA), myocarditis, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC); ion channelopathies such as long QT and Brugada syndrome were also identified [2]. SCD can also be induced by a traumatic blow to the chest (commotio cordis). Also, the incidence of SCD is known to be greater in males than females [1–4]. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, played by men, women, and children of all ages [5]. Unfortunately, soccer has been plagued in recent years by deaths at the professional level during internationally televised games. This paper aims to review the physiology of soccer, the relationship between SCD in soccer and other sports, the commonest causes of SCD in young athletes, and the current screening guidelines in place by The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) for soccer. 2. Methods Searching primarily the PubMed
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