The age of the players is discussed more than usual in value competitions – there are breakthrough players and veterans playing their last competitions. Is age just a number and what is the best age structure in terms of success?
In football, it is difficult to estimate a player’s best playing age. It is affected by many things, including the characteristics of the player, the place of play and the way the team plays. Many players’ careers continue to be successful for a long time, but the role played by the player on the field may change significantly over the years. In the big picture, players’ playing careers are getting longer. For example, the average age of players in the Champions League has increased by 1.6 years from the 1992–1993 season to the 2017–2018 season.
In general, in football, the term Peak age is used to refer to a player’s best playing age. In football, this stage is often placed between the ages of 24 and 29 with slightly different emphasis. Among other things The Athletic (you are switching to another service) has divided the players’ playing ages by playing positions by collecting data from the English Premier League for several years and dividing the data by playing positions. After this, the age stage was found for each game site, when the players in that game site played the most.
We tried to use a similar division, where the different playing positions were divided roughly separately from each other into four categories: goalkeepers (best playing age: 26–30 years old), defenders (best playing age: 25–29 years old), midfielders (best playing age: 23–27 years old ) and forwards (best playing age: 25–29 years).
Of course, the players’ roles can be different within the venues. For example, the best playing age of full-backs is earlier than that of full-backs. These differences between the venues are explained by, in addition to the gameplay elements, different physical requirements – distance traveled, full-speed runs, acceleration and braking.
Comparison of champion teams – is there a window of success?
We wanted to study previous World Cups and find out if there is a clear trend in the age structure of the champion teams – a window of success. We start the comparison with the 1998 French champion team. These competitions were drawn as the frontier of modern football. A clear trend would seem to be the youth of the championship teams in the previous decade, which is interesting considering the lengthening careers of the players.
– By looking at the age structures of champion teams, it can be concluded that the average age suitable for a team in terms of success is between 26 and 28 years. Italy in 2006 is a clear exception, Marcello Lippin the crew had accumulated experience above. The number of players in their prime also seems to matter. In champion teams, as a rule, about half of the players have been at their peak, i.e. between 24 and 30 years old, depending on the place of play, this can be seen in the graphic on the vertical axis. by Luiz Felipe Scolari Brazil 2002 was amazingly made up almost exclusively of players in their prime – and even pretty good ones, Miika Nuutinen states.
A window of success in current competitions
By drawing an area between the champion teams, an indicative window of success can be created, and by comparing this to the countries participating in the World Cup in Qatar, we can see who has the appropriate age structure in terms of success. Several interesting countries can be found there.
– On the left side of the window will be, for example, the youngest teams of the games, Ghana and the USA, who, if they won, would be clearly the youngest champions in the history of the competition in our review period. The age structure of the United States looks very promising, considering the home games that await four years away, if the development of young players continues, Soccer can have real chances of success. On the other side of the graph is Iran, which has passed the window of success and is facing a big generational change, Nuutinen states.
The number of peak players on the left side of the graph of the age distribution of World Cup teams would seem to be a greater divider than the average age in terms of the window of success. For example, the average age of Argentina and Holland matches the champion teams, but the percentage of players in their peak age is lower than the champions of recent years.
When you take a closer look at the age distribution of the different teams by playing location, you will notice that the average age of the team does not necessarily tell the whole truth. The average age may coincide with the players’ best playing age, but it arises from the fact that the team has much older and younger players.
– France, on the other hand, aims to renew the championship with a slightly older team than four years ago in Russia. They are firmly within the window of success, but injuries to experienced players have forced them to renew early, Nuutinen states.
– England, who advanced to the top four in the two previous prestigious competitions with a young team, will continue with the same squad, which is already experienced, but still only at the beginning of the success window. The number of Peak players in England is among the highest in the Games and it helps England to have success in these Games, but also for the future.
For Belgium, the tournament would seem to be the last of the golden generation, there are few key players left in their prime and especially the defense is full of experience. Some of the key players have already moved to the side of the field, when Thomas Vermaelen works by Roberto Martinez in the coaching team.
In addition to him, among other things Kevin De Bruyne has already completed the UEFA A coaching qualification, so the winds of change are blowing well in the Belgian team. Partly for this reason, Belgium is placed on the “Sinking Island of the Golden Generation” on the world football map.
– If Roberto Martinez wanted to, he could play with a defense line of three players that is almost 100 years old. Similarly, Brazil is now in a window of success, but the next World Cup may require a renewal. In the same breath, it must be said that big stars like Lionel Messi’s and Cristiano Ronaldo leaving the scene leaves the teams facing a new situation, regardless of the age structure, Nuutinen states.
Costa Rica has the fewest players of peak age among the teams in the entire tournament. It still strongly relies on credit players who successfully appeared in the previous games, such as Keylor Navas and to Bryan Ruiz. At the same time, a new generation is making its appearance.
Meanwhile, Spain’s window of success is opening, but will Qatar come too quickly for Spain?
– Spain is a mixture of experience and youth. The 2010 champion team is no longer involved Sergio Busquetswho played his first international matches while his midfield colleagues Peter and Gavi were still kicking in kindergarten. Spain’s roster is no match for the world champion team and the team’s biggest star seems to be found in the technical area. Luis Enrique has not been shy about trusting young players and has built the team to his heart’s content regardless of the players’ status, Nuutinen states.
In conclusion, it can be stated that the championships have been won by increasingly younger teams in recent years, as a rule the average ages are between 26-28 years old. Similarly, the number of players at their best playing age is important for the team’s success.
Of course, the importance of players as individuals to teams cannot be calculated solely on the basis of age. The roles and ideas of coaching can change a lot along the way. A good example of this is the 37-year-old Croatian who still remains at the top level even as an older person Luka Modric and, correspondingly, at the other extreme, 19-year-old Pedri from Spain.