Footedness in male international football: Its association with selection and progression

Abstract

Previous research has found an overrepresentation of left-sided athletes in team sports, where technical and tactical advantages may arise when players occupy specific portions of the field or court based on their laterality (the preferential use of one side of the body over the other). This study focussed on football and aimed to (i) examine the association between footedness, international selection likelihood, and positions by exploring the foot preference of 7507 male players selected for their respective national youth (U17, U19, and U21) and senior teams (England, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain), and (ii) analyse whether laterality interacts with players likelihood of progressing through the national pathway. Chi-square goodness-of-fit tests revealed an overrepresentation of left-footed players at the youth (>27%) and senior levels (26.5%) (p-values <.001) compared to normative values (15%). The results from the chi-square test of independence indicated left-footed players were frequently recruited as defenders, whereas right-footed players were more often selected as midfielders and forwards (p-values <.001). Transition rates from youth squads to the senior national teams were generally low, with no significant difference according to laterality. Players who debuted at the U21 level or sustained a higher level of performance throughout their youth careers recorded higher conversion rates. Findings suggest that the overrepresentation of left-footed players may be related to their relative rarity, and is in line with theoretical accounts underlining survival (higher performance outcomes when used in specific portions of the field) and attraction (corresponding to technical and tactical demands) advantages in selection.