Decoding the elite soccer player's psychological profile

TY - JOUR

T1 - Decoding the elite soccer player's psychological profile

AU - Bonetti, Leonardo

AU - Vestberg, Torbjōrn

AU - Jafari, Reza

AU - Seghezzi, Debora

AU - Ingvar, Martin

AU - Kringelbach, Morten L

AU - Filgueiras, Alberto

AU - Petrovic, Predrag

PY - 2025/1/21

Y1 - 2025/1/21

N2 - Soccer is arguably the most widely followed sport worldwide, and many dream of becoming soccer players. However, only a few manage to achieve this dream, which has cast a significant spotlight on elite soccer players who possess exceptional skills to rise above the rest. Originally, such attention was focused on their great physical abilities. However, recently, a new perspective has emerged, suggesting that being an elite soccer player requires a deep understanding of the game, rapid information processing, and decision-making. This growing attention has led to several studies suggesting higher executive functions in soccer players compared to the general population. Unfortunately, these studies often had small and nonelite samples, focusing mainly on executive functions alone without employing advanced machine learning techniques. In this study, we used artificial neural networks to comprehensively investigate the personality traits and cognitive abilities of a sample of 328 participants, including 204 elite soccer players from the top teams in Brazil and Sweden. Our findings indicate that elite soccer players demonstrate heightened planning and memory capacities, enhanced executive functions, especially cognitive flexibility, elevated levels of conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness to experience, coupled with reduced neuroticism and agreeableness. This research provides insights into the psychology of elite soccer players, holding significance for talent identification, development strategies in soccer, and understanding the psychological traits and cognitive abilities linked to success.

AB - Soccer is arguably the most widely followed sport worldwide, and many dream of becoming soccer players. However, only a few manage to achieve this dream, which has cast a significant spotlight on elite soccer players who possess exceptional skills to rise above the rest. Originally, such attention was focused on their great physical abilities. However, recently, a new perspective has emerged, suggesting that being an elite soccer player requires a deep understanding of the game, rapid information processing, and decision-making. This growing attention has led to several studies suggesting higher executive functions in soccer players compared to the general population. Unfortunately, these studies often had small and nonelite samples, focusing mainly on executive functions alone without employing advanced machine learning techniques. In this study, we used artificial neural networks to comprehensively investigate the personality traits and cognitive abilities of a sample of 328 participants, including 204 elite soccer players from the top teams in Brazil and Sweden. Our findings indicate that elite soccer players demonstrate heightened planning and memory capacities, enhanced executive functions, especially cognitive flexibility, elevated levels of conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness to experience, coupled with reduced neuroticism and agreeableness. This research provides insights into the psychology of elite soccer players, holding significance for talent identification, development strategies in soccer, and understanding the psychological traits and cognitive abilities linked to success.

KW - Adolescent

KW - Adult

KW - Athletes/psychology

KW - Athletic Performance/psychology

KW - Cognition/physiology

KW - Decision Making/physiology

KW - Executive Function/physiology

KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Neural Networks, Computer

KW - Personality/physiology

KW - Soccer/psychology

KW - Sweden

KW - Young Adult

KW - soccer

KW - cognitive abilities

KW - football

KW - artificial neural networks

KW - personality

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85215758505&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1073/pnas.2415126122

DO - 10.1073/pnas.2415126122

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 39808661

SN - 0027-8424

VL - 122

SP - e2415126122

JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

IS - 3

M1 - e2415126122

ER -