Academic vitality is a key indicator of the quality of students' educational experiences, influenced by individual, social, and educational factors. This study aimed to present a structural model illustrating the relationship between physical literacy and academic vitality among students, with intrinsic sports motivation and a sense of school belonging acting as mediating variables. The research employed a descriptive-correlational design using a structural equation modeling approach. The statistical population consisted of upper secondary school students in Tehran during the 2025–2026academic year; a sample of 392 students was selected using a multi-stage cluster sampling method. Data were collected using the Persian version of the Perceived Physical Literacy Instrument, the intrinsic motivation subscale of the Sport Motivation Scale-6, the sense of school belonging subscale from the School Attachment Questionnaire, and the Academic Vitality Questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS and AMOS software, employing structural equation modeling. The results revealed a significant direct relationship between physical literacy and academic vitality (P<0.001). Additionally, physical literacy showed a significant positive relationship with both intrinsic sports motivation and a sense of school belonging (P<0.001). Bootstrap analysis indicated that intrinsic sports motivation and a sense of school belonging exerted a statistically significant indirect effect on the relationship between physical literacy and academic vitality (P<0.001). The proposed model demonstrated a good fit and accounted for 57.6% of the variance in academic vitality. Developing physical literacy enhancement programs in schools can contribute to enhancing the quality of the educational experience, as well as students' motivation and psychological well-being.