University of the West of Scotland will welcome world-leading sports scientists to Glasgow later this month, to tackle some of football’s most pressing challenges. Appropriately, the conference will take place at the stadia of the city’s leading football clubs: Celtic Park and Ibrox, home of Celtic and Rangers respectively.

UWS is the academic host of the World Congress of Science and Soccer, bringing together more than 250 experts from across the globe, to discuss important issues in soccer, from cardiac health of elite players to talent identification and science and medicine in football.

Keynote speakers at the congress include:

  • Dr Katrine Okholm Kryger from St Mary’s University in London, who specialises in sports rehabilitation and sports medicine.
  • Professor Franco Impellizzeri from the University of Technology in Sydney, an expert in sports and exercise science and medicine, with a focus on applied sport science and orthopaedics.
  • Professor Peter Krustrup from the University of Southern Denmark, who specialises in the fitness and health effects of football, and is also a UEFA pro-licenced coach; and
  • Rob Cooper, a consultant cardiologist at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, with a specialist interest in sports cardiology, amongst others. 

Vish Unnithan, Professor of Paediatric Sports Science at University of the West of Scotland and Chair of WCSS in Glasgow, said: “We are so excited to be hosting the 2025 World Congress on Science and Soccer here in Glasgow, which will bring together experts, researchers, and practitioners to delve into key areas of soccer science and professional practice. 

“Embracing the overarching motto ‘Encourage Progress, Enhance Practice,’ the congress aims to serve as a catalyst for overcoming barriers and promoting the core values of sport – teamwork, fair play, equality, and inclusion – as drivers of research, innovation, and sustainable development in soccer. 

“There’s only two weeks to go until the congress kicks off and we look forward to welcoming delegates from all over the world to collaborate, share insights, and drive innovation aimed at enhancing health and performance in soccer, worldwide. It’s not often that academic conference venues are linked directly to their subject, and I know that delegates from across the globe are thrilled to be attending a conference hosted at two of the most iconic stadiums in the world.”

Embracing the overarching motto ‘Encourage Progress, Enhance Practice,’ the congress aims to serve as a catalyst for overcoming barriers and promoting the core values of sport – teamwork, fair play, equality, and inclusion – as drivers of research, innovation, and sustainable development in soccer. 

Vish Unnithan, Professor of Paediatric Sports Science at University of the West of Scotland and Chair of WCSS in Glasgow

In preparation for the four-day event - taking place between Tuesday 17- Friday 20 June - a team of volunteers from UWS’s Division of Sport, Exercise and Health visited Ibrox Stadium and Celtic Park. The volunteers were given tours of the stadia and briefed on their roles, as they prepare to welcome delegates to two of Scotland’s most historic football clubs. 

Find out more and view the conference programme here.