Retired Soccer Players Show Brain Changes and Higher Depression Rates, Study Finds

A new study presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2026 finds that retired professional soccer players experience higher rates of depression and anxiety alongside structural brain changes, though no measurable cognitive decline was detected Source: CNN. The research, led by Imperial College London, compared 142 former players aged 30–60 with 56 healthy non-players Source: Euronews.

Key Findings

• Depression and anxiety were significantly more common: 31% of former players met the threshold for clinical depression, versus 9% of controls; 42% reported anxiety, versus 25% Source: CNA.
• Brain scans revealed reduced gray matter volume in regions tied to memory and emotion among the player group Source: CNN.
• Cognitive tests showed no significant differences between the groups Source: CNA.

Caveats and Implications

Only 2% of former athletes exhibited signs of severe brain shrinkage indicative of active neurodegeneration Source: CNA. Researchers caution that the findings are preliminary and do not establish a direct link to Alzheimer’s or CTE Source: CNN. “We're at a very early stage of translating these findings to individual risk prediction,” said senior author Dr. Thomas Parker Source: CNA. The team plans to follow participants every two years to track long-term trajectories Source: Euronews.