Are relatively older soccer players more frequent and valuable than their relatively younger peers? A study of the major American leagues

  • Lucas Savassi Figueiredo, Dr Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Avançado Governador Valadares – UFJF-GV, Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5853-4978
  • Ana Filipa Silva, Dra Escola Superior Desporto e Lazer, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Viana do Castelo, Portugal; Research Center in Sports Performance, Recreation, Innovation and Technology - SPRINT, Melgaço, Portugal; The Research Centre in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development - CIDESD, Vila Real, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1772-1272
  • Francielli Evelin Lopes Silva Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6149-6044
  • Eduardo de Moraes Ribeiro Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3443-1653
  • Vivian de Oliveira, Dra Centro universitário IESB, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil; Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9558-3488
  • Samuel da Silva Aguiar, Dr Centro Universitário do Distrito Federal – UDF, Brasília Distrito Federal, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9057-4096
  • Filipe Manuel Clemente, Dr Escola Superior Desporto e Lazer, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Viana do Castelo, Portugal; Research Center in Sports Performance, Recreation, Innovation and Technology - SPRINT, Melgaço, Portugal; Instituto de Telecomunicações, Delegação da Covilhã, Lisboa, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9813-2842
  • Henrique de Oliveira Castro, Dr Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0545-164X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33155/ramd.v17i4.1179
Keywords: Efecto de la Idad Relativa, Rendimiento Deportivo, Gestión deportiva, Desarollo deportivo Relative Age Effect, Sports performance, Sports management, Sports development Efeito da idade relativa, Desempenho esportivo, Gestão esportiva, Desenvolvimento esportivo

Abstract

Aim: The purpose was to analyze the Relative Age Effect (RAE) on players' representativeness in Top American soccer leagues, and analyze the RAE on players' market value in the above-mentioned leagues.

Methods: The date of birth and perceived market value from 3494 male elite soccer athletes who participated in the 2022 season of the Argentinian (Superliga), Brazilian (Série A), Colombian (Liga Dimayor I), Mexican (Liga MX), and US American (MLS) soccer leagues were collected. The occurrence of the RAE among players was assessed in each of the leagues through a comparsion of the incidence of athletes born in each quarter and the frequency expected for each quarter.

Results: The examinations of the players' birth quarters revealed a disparity in birth distribution across all leagues when compared to the expected values.

Conclusion: Results also indicated that market values did not differ based on the players’ quarter of birth in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and USA.

Published
2025-04-23
Issue
Vol. 17 No. 4 (2024): December 2024
Section
Originals
DOI
https://doi.org/10.33155/ramd.v17i4.1179