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Is the relative age effect just a European problem? A comprehensive analysis of birth date distribution and its impact on player selection at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup

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Listed:
  • Benito Pérez-González
  • Jairo León-Quismondo
  • José Bonal
  • Iyán Iván-Baragaño
  • Álvaro Fernández-Luna
  • Pablo Burillo

Abstract

This study examines the presence and implications of the Relative Age Effect (RAE) in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, focusing on the distribution of players’ birth dates across continents and professional levels. Utilizing a sample of 735 players, a Poisson regression was conducted on the weekly birth frequency to determine the significance of the fit to a Poisson regression curve. Despite the lack of a significant RAE across the overall player population, our findings reveal notable geographical and positional variations. Specifically, European players, particularly goalkeepers and defenders, alongside the top 4 classified teams and nations with a substantial number of federation licenses, exhibit a significant RAE, suggesting a substantial impact on player selection favouring those born earlier in the year. Conversely, players from Africa, America, Asia, and Oceania do not show a significant RAE, indicating variability in its manifestation across different football environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Benito Pérez-González & Jairo León-Quismondo & José Bonal & Iyán Iván-Baragaño & Álvaro Fernández-Luna & Pablo Burillo, 2025. "Is the relative age effect just a European problem? A comprehensive analysis of birth date distribution and its impact on player selection at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 20(2), pages 1-15, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0318116
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0318116
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Miguel Saavedra-García & Marcos Matabuena & Antonio Montero-Seoane & Juan J Fernández-Romero, 2019. "A new approach to study the relative age effect with the use of additive logistic regression models: A case of study of FIFA football tournaments (1908-2012)," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(7), pages 1-12, July.
    2. Claude Simon & Fraser Carson & Irene Renate Faber & Thorben Hülsdünker, 2022. "Low prevalence of relative age effects in Luxembourg’s male and female youth football," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(8), pages 1-13, August.
    3. Alice Harkness-Armstrong & Kevin Till & Naomi Datson & Stacey Emmonds, 2020. "Technical characteristics of elite youth female soccer match-play: position and age group comparisons between under 14 and under 16 age groups," International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(6), pages 942-959, November.
    4. John R Doyle & Paul A Bottomley, 2019. "The relative age effect in European elite soccer: A practical guide to Poisson regression modelling," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(4), pages 1-14, April.
    5. José Bonal & Sergio Lorenzo Jiménez & Alberto Lorenzo, 2020. "The Talent Development Pathway for Elite Basketball Players in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-21, July.
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