Warm-Up Strategies and Physical Performance in Soccer Players: A Bibliometric and Visual Analysis

Abstract

Warm-up strategies are widely used in soccer to prepare players for the physical demands of training and competition; however, the development and intellectual structure of this research field have not been comprehensively mapped. This study aimed to examine the scientific development, thematic structure, international collaboration patterns, citation structure, and intellectual foundations of research on warm-up strategies and physical performance in soccer players. Bibliographic records were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection from database inception to September 22, 2026. After applying document-type and language criteria, 363 records were included in the analysis. Bibliometric and science-mapping analyses were conducted using the Bibliometrix package in R and included annual scientific production, citation analysis, country collaboration networks, trend-topic analysis, thematic mapping, and reference co-citation analysis. Scientific production increased markedly from the late 2010s onward. Trend-topic analysis showed a broadening from earlier themes related to flexibility, static and dynamic stretching, and range of motion toward performance-oriented topics including post-activation potentiation, sprint performance, strength, agility, FIFA 11+, and change of direction. The thematic map identified PAP as a motor theme, whereas football, soccer, injury prevention, and flexibility represented basic themes; sprinting, neuromuscular warm-up, and women appeared as niche themes. International collaboration and reference co-citation analyses revealed two visually distinct but interconnected clusters. These findings indicate that warm-up research in soccer has evolved into a thematically diverse and increasingly performance-oriented field, while also exhibiting identifiable patterns of international collaboration and intellectual organization.