Great footballers outperform the rest of us in more ways than just physically. This is revealed by a study from Aarhus University and several partner universities.

The study, published in the scientific journal PNAS, analysed 204 players from the top leagues in Brazil and Sweden. By having the players complete a variety of tests relating to e.g. memory, planning and personality, the researchers were able reveal striking results.

The elite players consistently outperform the average population when it comes to cognitive flexibility, planning and working memory. The study also reveals a particular personality profile among footballers: They are more conscientious, outgoing and open to new experiences. 

Furthermore, players show lower levels of agreeableness and they have less propensity for nervousness. 

What makes elite players special?

The study showed that cognitive abilities and personality traits of players are crucial for football skills such as making goals, assists and being good at dribbling.

"We wanted to find out what makes elite players so special and what drives their success," explains Associate Professor Leonardo Bonetti from Center for Music in the Brain at Aarhus University.

"Historically, physical traits and technical skills have been considered the only factors that determine a footballer's performance. But in recent years, cognitive ability has also been recognised as a crucial factor. Our study not only confirms this, it also significantly expands on previous studies by combining comprehensive psychological assessments with AI," says the researcher.

AI compares cognitive tests with player performance on the field

By using artificial intelligence, Leonardo Bonetti and colleagues from multiple collaborating universities were able to distinguish elite players from control subjects with 97 per cent accuracy based on cognitive ability and personality traits alone. However, he emphasises that other psychological factors, such as mental resilience and group coordination, can also have a significant impact on success in football.

The use of artificial intelligence to distinguish elite players from other control subjects with such high precision is groundbreaking and could potentially change how football talent is identified, Leonardo Bonetti points out.

"The study shows that being an elite player is about more than just physical fitness or technical skills; it’s also about having a keen and adaptable mind. Traits such as quick thinking, the ability to plan and collaborate in a team play a big part in success. The study also emphasises that personality traits such as discipline, extroversion and curiosity are important," he says.

The first large-scale study

Leonardo Bonetti hopes that the study will especially inspire young talents and their parents by showing them that mental skills and character development are just as important as physical training.

"This is the first large-scale study to combine cognitive assessments and personality assessments with elite football performance data. It demonstrates a clear link between mental acuity and success in sports," says Leonardo Bonetti.

The study paves the way for other research opportunities in the future. For example, long-term studies that investigate how cognitive ability and personality traits develop throughout a player's career. Or intervention research that examines how training programmes can improve cognitive ability and personality traits to enhance player performance.

The research results - more information:

• The researchers studied 204 players from the top leagues in Brazil and Sweden and compared them to a control group of 124 people. Participants performed tasks assessing memory, planning skills and personality traits, among others. The results were compared to player performance data from football.
• The study was conducted in collaboration with, among others, the University of Oxford and Karolinska Institutet. 
• External funding: The Danish National Research Foundation, the Carlsberg Foundation and the Lundbeck Foundation.
• Read more in the scientific article
   

Contact

Associate Professor Leonardo Bonetti
Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine - Center for Music in the Brain
Telephone: +45 81 94 91 90
Email: leonardo.bonetti@clin.au.dk 
Website: https://leonardobonetti.org/