Columbia University scientists find that soccer headers diminish brain function over time

Though the sport is known in most of the world as football, some of the best soccer goals of all time have not been scored with the foot but rather the head. Brazilian icon Pelé and FIFA great Zinedine “Zizou” Zidane both scored headers in World Cup finals.

But an increasing body of research suggests that the awe-inducing skill isn’t safe. There is mounting evidence on the risks to brain health caused by heading. A new study that builds on the research is the first to follow players for a multiyear period...