The nutritional status of elite soccer players across match, post-match, training and rest days has not been defined. Recent evidence suggests the pattern of dietary protein intake impacts the daytime turnover of muscle proteins and, as such, influences muscle recovery. We assessed the nutritional status and daytime pattern of protein intake in senior professional and elite youth soccer players and compared findings against published recommendations. Fourteen senior professional (SP) and fifteen youth elite (YP) soccer players from the Dutch premier division completed nutritional assessments using a 24-h web-based recall method. Recall days consisted of a match, post-match, rest and training day. Daily energy intake over the 4-day period was similar between SP (2988±583 kcal/day) and YP (2938±465 kcal/day; p=0.800). Carbohydrate intake over the combined 4-day period was lower in SP (4.7±0.