From Pitch to Console: Exploring the Role of Football eSports in the Development of Young Footballers

Objectives. The study aimed to analyse the impact of football eSports on the perceptions of young footballers, focusing on the key components, namely motivation, technical and tactical skill development, and career choices in the football context. Materials and methods. Forty-two young footballers playing both traditional football and football videogames took part in the study. Participants were administered an ad hoc questionnaire divided into three sections: sample identification, impact of eSports on aspirations and perspectives, and relationship between digital and traditional practice. Statistical analysis included Fisher’s exact test and Chi-square. Results. The results show that 57.1% of subjects reported an increase in motivation, especially in adolescence. Furthermore, 73.9% perceived an improvement in football-related cognitive skills, with a positive influence on actual performance (69%). Significant relationships were observed between hours spent playing videogames and the perceived enhancement in cognitive skills (p = .001), motivation (p = .032) as well as the influence on career choices of the latter (p = .010). Conclusions. It is clear from the study that football eSports offer a valuable support to the traditional sporting pathway by stimulating motivation and tactical skills. In addition, this sport of the digital generation can be integrated into the training of young footballers to foster their development and achievement.