Although soccer fields are often home to some of the dumbest things you’ll ever see, soccer players actually possess better memory, creativity and multitasking abilities than the population at large, according to a recent study.
Predrag Petrovic of the Karolinsk Institute of Stockholm, Sweden tested the cognitive abilities of professional players. While the average player still tested better than your average Joe, elite players proved to be amongst the top 2 to 5 percent of the general population.
The constantly changing environment of a soccer game forces players to quickly interpret and adjust to their surroundings, Petrovic claims. This ability is readily applicable to a wide range of off-the-field activities, from driving a car to implementing a new business strategy.
While fans have called iconic players “geniuses” for decades, the study lends some new weight to the title.
In the defensive side of the game, the importance of mental dexterity has never been clearer. There’s a reason goalkeepers often peak in their late 30s (just ask Edwin van der Sar), when their ability to read the game has fully matured.
Defenders and holding midfielders used to be judged on their ability to dive in with a strong tackle. These days, coaches emphasize interceptions over tackles, a more proactive style of defending that puts a premium on positional play.
In midfield, deep-lying playmakers like Andrea Pirlo and Xabi Alonso have made a living from analyzing player positions in order to play thoughtful passes and dictate the tempo of the game.
Up front, attackers like Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho, and Johan Cruyff couldn’t have conjured their magic without a deep appreciation for spacing.
Of course, there are also players like Joey Barton, but every village has its idiot.
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