Football-related injuries accounted for 22% of all adult active lifestyle claims in 2025 - making the sport the leading cause of sports injury claims in the UK, ahead of all other recreational activities. MetLife UK recorded 225 football-related claims out of 1,015 active lifestyle claims overall last year, covering five-a-side players, Sunday League participants, and recreational footballers. Professional athletes are not included.
Separate consumer research from MetLife UK found that almost a quarter of UK adults have experienced a sporting accident. Among those injured, the average hospital stay lasted four days, with one in five spending even longer away from normal activity.
The research points to a financial exposure many recreational players do not anticipate. The biggest concern among those who had experienced or worried about an accident was time off work, cited by 23% of respondents, followed by not being home with their children at 20%. Others identified more direct financial consequences - unpaid leave at 16%, reduced pay at 13%, and added costs including food, travel and hospital parking.
Those concerns sit against a backdrop of widespread underinsurance among working adults. Employee personal accident insurance is among the top 10 most wanted employee benefits across all age groups, yet only 12% of employers offer it. Combined group and individual protection claims hit a record £8 billion in 2024, according to ABI data, as demand continues to outpace employer provision.
The scale of the gap is significant. The Financial Conduct Authority found that 58% of UK adults hold no pure protection product, citing low consumer awareness and misunderstandings about how policies work as the primary barriers. A final report from the FCA's ongoing competition review is due in Q3 2026.
The income risk from a recreational injury sits within a wider picture of workforce health. The Keep Britain Working Review, published in autumn 2025, found that over one in five working-age adults are out of the workforce substantially because of health problems, with the cost to the state estimated at £212 billion per year.
"These findings are a reminder that protection isn't just about the big moments in life," said Phil Jeynes, head of individual protection at MetLife UK. "It can also help people feel more prepared for the unexpected challenges that can come from everyday activities and hobbies."
Rising participation in recreational sport, combined with a persistent protection gap among working adults, creates a clear and underserved need in personal accident and income protection portfolios - one the MetLife data suggests is only likely to grow.
