Football (Soccer) Calories Burned Calculator
Written by Thierno Sadou Diallo, formula verified per our methodology • Last checked on 9/9/2026
Casual football burns about 7.0 MET, versus 10.0 MET in competition. For a 70 kg person playing a one-hour friendly match, that's about 490 kcal.
Explanation
The gap in energy expenditure between a friendly match and a competitive football game comes down to the actual volume and intensity of running on the field: a top-level player covers an average of 9 to 12 km per match, with many sprints and pace changes, while a match between friends alternates more between relaxed play and recovery. This intensity difference shows up directly in the MET value used: 7.0 for casual football, versus 10.0 for competitive football, a value that places this sport among the most physically demanding activities in the Compendium. As with other team sports already covered on this site (see our basketball calories burned calculator and our tennis calories burned calculator), actual expenditure also varies by position on the field (a midfielder generally runs far more than a goalkeeper) and how actively involved the player is in the play, two factors this calculator can't measure directly.
Example: a one-hour friendly match
Inputs
Weight: 70 kg. Duration: 1 hour. Intensity: casual (7.0 MET).
Calculation
Calories burned = 7.0 × 70 × 1 = 490 kcal.
Result
This friendly match burns about 490 kcal.
Frequently asked questions
Why does competition burn so much more energy than casual play?
Because the intensity and volume of running are noticeably higher in competitive matches: repeated sprints, frequent changes of direction, and the time pressure of the game demand a much more sustained cardiovascular effort than a match between friends, where recovery phases are more frequent and the overall pace lower.
Does the position played on the field change the calorie expenditure?
Yes, significantly: GPS tracking studies in professional football show that a midfielder generally covers a noticeably greater distance than a center-back or a goalkeeper over the same match duration, which translates into higher actual energy expenditure at an equivalent playing intensity.
Do these values apply to futsal or indoor football?
Futsal and indoor football are played on a smaller field with more frequent player rotations, which changes the effort profile compared to outdoor eleven-a-side football. This calculator covers classic football; futsal's MET values, though of the same order of magnitude, aren't directly covered here.