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Performance and beauty in sports ̶on the market value and popularity of European female soccer players

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  • Pieper, Marco
  • Schulze, Günther G.

Abstract

We analyze the role of performance and beauty for the market value and the social media popularity of all female soccer players who took part in the European Championship 2022. Controlling for team and position effects, we find that the players’ market values are determined by a set of performance indicators and their social media popularity, which in turn is determined by the performance and facial attractiveness of the players. Thus, while beauty has no statistically significant direct effect on players’ market values it indirectly affects their values through the effect on social media popularity.

Suggested Citation

  • Pieper, Marco & Schulze, Günther G., 2024. "Performance and beauty in sports ̶on the market value and popularity of European female soccer players," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 218(C), pages 309-324.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:218:y:2024:i:c:p:309-324
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2023.12.021
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Beauty; Performance; Soccer; Facial attractiveness; Professional sport;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Z20 - Other Special Topics - - Sports Economics - - - General
    • J30 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - General
    • J44 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Professional Labor Markets and Occupations
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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