BACKGROUND: The pursuit of excellence in sports often drives athletes to maintain rigorous dietary and physical standards, sometimes leading to disordered eating patterns like orthorexia nervosa. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between perfectionism, body composition, and the risk of orthorexia among young soccer players. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 93 young football players aged 15-24 from a football academy. Perfectionism was assessed using the Perfectionism in Sport Questionnaire, while orthorexia nervosa risk was evaluated using the Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale. Body composition parameters, including body mass index, lean body mass, skeletal muscle mass, fat mass, and fat percentage, were analyzed using multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance. RESULTS: Higher levels of negative perfectionism were significantly associated with increased orthorexia nervosa risk ( CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the psychological underpinnings of orthorexia nervosa risk in young athletes, emphasizing the influence of negative perfectionism and the limited role of body composition. Early intervention focusing on reducing negative perfectionism and promoting adaptive perfectionism could support both psychological well-being and athletic performance. Future research should investigate long-term trends and the role of sociocultural factors in orthorexia nervosa development.