Opta statistics show that Spain have run, sprinted and pressed the opposition the most amongst the semi-finalists at FIFA World Cup 2026, covering 114.1km and completing 438.8 sprints. Luis de la Fuente’s side has also had the best passing accuracy in the tournament at 90.4% and 66% possession. Aside from that, the Spaniard forward Lamine Yamal leads the tournament with 21 successful dribbles, while the Brazilian Vinicius Junior has 16 successful dribbles.

In this post we will discuss the importance of resistance training for football players and how it can improve power, speed, and acceleration from our book Strength Training for Soccer authored by Daniel Guzman, Megan Young, and NSCA.

It is well established that resistance training is beneficial to football/soccer athletes in terms of performance and health. Training with weights and other forms of resistance increases strength, power, local muscle endurance and improves other skill-related biomotor abilities such as mobility, acceleration, speed, and agility.

Power Improvement

The goal of power development is to increase athletes’ speed and quickness with which they perform sport actions. As each leg pushes against the ground, a forward (athlete) exerts relatively large force into the ground in order to maximize acceleration (Newton’s third law). To generate pace on a shot, the forward needs a very high leg velocity when striking the ball. Both of these situations require power. Through understanding the variables related to power and how to apply them to football/soccer, strength and conditioning professionals can train each variable or emphasize deficiencies to maximize performance abilities.

Speed Improvement

Running velocity (i.e., speed) is an essential athletic quality needed for the sport of football/soccer and is more important for some positions than others. Speed, or the capacity to run at high velocities, can be improved by enhancing strength and power. Due to the nature of the sport, it is important to understand the different aspects of speed. Sprinting speed can be categorized into five components: acceleration, maximum velocity, deceleration, and transitions (i.e., changing directions). Understanding the demands of each component will help you determine what types of actions you should train with resistance training.

Acceleration

Acceleration begins when the athlete initiates a sprint to perform an action. It can be initiated from a static position, walking, or slow running. These high-force, piston-like movements are similar to unilateral triple extension exercises such as split squats. The movements are also supported by hinging movements such as the Romanian deadlift. Through improving performance in these exercises after developing a foundation in bilateral squatting, sprint mechanics and force generation can be developed, potentially increasing speed.

Maximum Velocity

It is more mechanically efficient for the arms and legs to maintain speed rather than increase velocity as the athlete reaches maximum velocity and acceleration diminishes with each step. Resistance training exercises like kettlebell swing, power clean, jump squat with a fast eccentric and short coupling time, provide similar stimuli that could lead to improvements in maximum velocity running.

Deceleration

The deceleration phase is usually initiated or triggered by the completion of a task, such as crossing the finish line after a 100-meter (109 yd) sprint. Resistance and plyometric training can improve deceleration capabilities. Exercises such as the depth jump, reverse lunge, and front squat can reinforce the patterns demonstrated in decelerations.

Transitions

Once the body is sufficiently decelerated, a transitional movement is used to initiate the next acceleration. These movements are rotational in nature and demand appropriate rotational mobility, stability, and propulsive power at the trunk, hips, knees, and ankles. Various resistance training exercises and strategies can improve transitions in football/soccer athletes such as free weights. This can develop the force production required to maximize acceleration mechanics. Ballistic movements like the kettlebell swing, power clean, jump squat, and reactive plyometrics can support the development of force and power to execute the transition properly.