Decision-making skills in South American soccer: A continental perspective

This study characterized decision-making skills among youth soccer players from ten South American countries, focusing on decision-making quality and speed and exploring differences across countries, age categories, and sex. A total of 1116 players from U-13, U-14, and U-16 categories were assessed using the TacticUP ® test. Cluster analysis identified six distinct national profiles, demonstrating variability in the quality and speed of decision-making across South American countries. Argentina and Uruguay exhibited relatively faster decision-making responses, whereas Brazil and Chile demonstrated higher decision-making quality. Between-country differences were limited among male U-13 players but were more pronounced among female U-14 and U-16 players. Male players demonstrated higher decision-making quality than female players, whereas no significant sex differences were observed in decision-making speed. These findings indicate that youth players from different South American countries exhibit distinct decision-making profiles, which may be considered in the context of previously documented differences in talent development pathways. The results highlight the importance of considering both decision-making quality and speed when characterizing perceptual-cognitive development and may inform the development of context-sensitive talent development strategies in South American youth soccer.