Evolution of Soccer Talent Identification Criteria, Systematic Review 1976–2024

38 empirical studies published between 1976 and 2024 were synthesized in a systematic review. The review maps historical shifts in soccer talent identification indicators, progressing from anthropometric measures to multidimensional integration. Author Yikang Gong published the review document on figshare in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Analyzing historical trends in talent selection criteria based on the described three-stage progression
• Comparing regional approaches to talent identification based on described European, South American, and African contexts
• Evaluating the impact of technological innovation on assessment methods based on mentions of wearable sensors and GPS tracking

Strengths

• Systematic review methodology synthesizes 38 empirical studies
• Clear temporal coverage spanning 48 years from 1976 to 2024
• Analysis includes regional differentiation across Europe, South America, and Africa

Limitations

• The dataset is a 13.6 KB DOCX document, indicating limited scope and likely no raw data tables
• Row count and column-level documentation are absent; data structure must be inferred from the text
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download

Provenance

Source

figshare

Collection Method

Systematic review of empirical research

Time Range

1976–2024

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-19 13:35:56; freshness should be verified

Geography

Global perspectives with regional analysis of Europe, South America, and Africa