Morphological Characteristics, Somatotype, and Body Composition in Soccer Players in Relation to Playing Position: A Narrative Review

Soccer is a sport where the physical attributes of players play a crucial role in defining their location on the field. Somatotype is determined by three components: endomorphy, which refers to the relative fatness of the body with a focus on the abdomen, high-square shoulders, and a short, fleshy neck; mesomorphy, which describes the musculoskeletal robustness characterized by large bones, a large chest, and a relatively slender waist; and ectomorphy, which pertains to the linearity or slenderness of the body with small bones, thin muscles, relatively long limbs, a short trunk, and a flat abdominal region. Body composition is a crucial aspect of fitness since having too much fat tissue adds extra weight that hinders performance in sports like running and jumping, where the body needs to oppose gravity. The aim of this article was to give a narrative review of the morphological characteristics, somatotype, and body composition of elite soccer players in relation to their playing positions.