Incidence and characteristics of COVID-19 in French professional football players during the 2020-2021 season

Objectives: To describe the epidemiology of COVID-19 in French professional football players, and to compare the infection incidence with the general population across the first three waves.

Methods: During the 2020-2021 season, all professional football players (n = 1217) in the two primary French leagues underwent weekly testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection by nasopharyngeal PCR, in combination with rigorous infection control measures.

Results: Among all players, 572 (47%) tested positive at least once, with no COVID-19-related death or hospital admission. Monthly incidence estimates in players ranged from 1486 to 6731 per 100,000 individuals, i.e. 2-17 times higher than incidence estimates in the general population in France during the study period.

Conclusion: Almost 50% of professional football players developed SARS-CoV-2 infection during the 2020-2021 season in France, with no severe complication.