Soccer & Society

Talent san frontières: unveiling identification and development pathways in emerging soccer nations

The increasing emergence of new footballing nations has necessitated the need for a deeper understanding of the talent identification/selection and talent development processes within these contexts. This growth aligns with FIFA’s global strategy, evidenced by the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the subsequent introduction of FIFA’s Talent Development Scheme, which aims to 'give every talent a chance'. Furthermore, with the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico and the 2034 FIFA World Cup set to take place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, global football is experiencing an era of expansion into non-traditional footballing territories). Despite this evolution, there remains a significant gap in knowledge regarding how talent is identified, nurtured and developed in emerging football/soccer nations across different regions and cultural contexts.  Existing research on talent identification and talent development in football has predominantly been, Eurocentric, focusing on data-driven decision making, artificial intelligence and elite professional leagues. Even within European scholarship there is a lack of critical inquiry into the socio-cultural, economic and institutional/organisational factors shaping talent pathways. 

We will call for papers on the following issues:

·         Talent identification and development strategies in emerging football/soccer nations.

·         The role of socio-cultural, economic and/or policy driven factors in shaping talent pathways.

·         Gender disparities in talent identification and development.

·         The impact of the FIFA Talent Development Scheme and related football policies.

·         Comparative studies of talent identification and development across traditional and emerging football/soccer nations.

·         Mixed-methods and interdisciplinary approaches to talent development research.

·         The influence of governance, coaching and football infrastructure on player progression.

·         The role of regional and international tournaments/competition in shaping talent pathways.

Priority Considerations

While all relevance submissions are welcome priority will be given to studies that:

·         Focus on emerging football/soccer nations within major federations such as CONCACAF, Asian Football Confederation, Confederation of African Football

·         Investigate talent development and identification within female football/soccer populations.

Employ mixed or multiple methodological approaches.