Evolución y éxito profesional de futbolistas españolas según su edad relativa:

Alberto Gil-Galve; Iyán Iván-Baragaño

doi:10.46642/efd.v31i337.8742

Alberto Gil-Galve Universidad de Vigo (UVigo) https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2887-6476
Iyán Iván-Baragaño Universidad de León (UNILEON) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7136-4819

DOI: https://doi.org/10.46642/efd.v31i337.8742

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relative age effect in the identification, selection, and development of talent in Spanish women’s soccer. A longitudinal observational study was conducted over 10 seasons. Using data from secondary sources, a total of 364 young players (age = 14.93 ± 2.86) from six top-level Spanish women’s soccer clubs during the 2015/2016 season were analyzed. At a descriptive level, a relative age effect was observed in Spanish women’s soccer during the 2014/2015 season, with an overrepresentation of players born in the first and second quarters of the year (31.5 % and 27.5 %, respectively). Subsequently, the players’ sporting development was evaluated in the 2024/2025 season. A total of 64 players (17.6 %) of the analysed sample are currently professional players competing in the highest category of women’s soccer worldwide, and 11 of them are international players (3.0 %). Conversely, players with a lower relative age were found to have a greater likelihood of becoming higher-level players. In addition, a new consideration is proposed regarding the treatment of players in relation to relative age, since in many situations the most talented players within clubs are promoted to train and compete with older age groups. These players should therefore be considered as having a lower relative age than their teammates, even if they were born in the first half of the year, as they train and compete with players of greater chronological age.

Keywords: Soccer, Players, Relative age effect

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