Abstract
<jats:p>Psychological factors and sleep quality are relevant to athlete well-being and adaptation in high-performance sport, yet their distribution within the same elite football structure remains insufficiently understood. This cross-sectional study described and compared psychological profiles and psychological risk indicators according to sex, competitive level, and selected contextual variables. Participants were 376 elite football players (245 male and 131 female; aged 14–37 years) from 11 teams competing at U16, U19, amateur, and professional levels. Assessment followed the Psycholight framework and incorporated selected dimensions from the CPRD, MIPS, STAI, DASS-21, and PSQI. Group differences were examined using nonparametric comparisons, Wilcoxon effect sizes, Fisher’s exact tests, and odds ratios. Psychological profiles and risk distributions differed according to sex and competitive level, although no consistent linear pattern emerged across levels. Male teams generally showed more favorable profiles, whereas female teams, particularly at lower levels, showed higher trait anxiety, emotional distress, poorer sleep quality, and greater cumulative psychological risk. Among female players, risk indicators were more consistently associated with competitive participation, playing position, and living arrangements. Exploratory analyses of years at the club and body-composition status showed no consistent patterns. These findings support Psycholight as a structured monitoring framework for elite football.</jats:p>