The inaugural Head Injuries in Football Conference took place in Zurich on 27–28 May 2025 and brought together those in elite football (‘soccer’) who make sport-related concussion decisions daily to learn from their experiences. Participants were primarily physicians responsible for both men’s and women’s professional teams, with representation from a variety of football clubs (including Real Madrid, AS Monaco, AS Roma, Brighton & Hove Albion, New York City Football Club, Grasshoppers Club Zurich and FC Utrecht) and different national teams (including the Swiss, Dutch and Belgian national teams), who shared first-hand sideline perspectives. Guest speakers from Major League Baseball (New York Yankees) and the National (American) Football League were invited to contribute comparative sideline perspectives from other elite sports with substantial experience in concussion management, helping to contextualise common practical challenges relevant to elite football. Additionally, physiotherapists, clinical neurologists, neuroscientists, professional players and player representatives from football players’ unions contributed to the discussions.

This meeting was not organised or financially supported by international sports federations. Instead, it was convened by the Sports Doctors Network and the Swiss Association of Football Players (member of the international football players’ union AIF (Asociación Internacional de Futbolistas)), reflecting the perspectives of elite team physicians and players, with scientific support from the University of Zurich in the development of the programme and the structuring and moderation of the discussion sessions. Its purpose was not to establish a scientific committee that conducts systematic reviews or produces another set of guidelines. Rather, the goal was to create a platform where the lived challenges of concussion diagnosis and care in elite football could be openly identified and discussed—and to ask how current evidence-based guidelines are implemented in practice across different leagues and clubs. Building on these practitioner-led discussions, a standardised and structured Delphi process was initiated following the conference to refine and prioritise the most relevant challenges and needs. The results will be disseminated through the Sports Doctors Network and, where appropriate, through peer-reviewed publication. As representatives and organisers of the conference, we highlight in this editorial some of the player-centred priorities that emerged from these discussions and the evidence gaps that point to where future research and policy may need to evolve to better protect players. Figure 1 illustrates three priorities and how participatory approaches can strengthen the evolution of concussion research and policy aligned with stakeholder needs.