Research in Women's Soccer: Background, Progress and Future Horizons
Abstract
Women's soccer has experienced exponential growth in the last decade. Sponsors and clubs have finally decided to invest in the development of a historically undervalued sport. The last FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019 set a new record for viewership, with 1.12 billion people watching during the 52 matches of this championship. On the other hand, in the field of research, only one out of four published articles on soccer refers to women's soccer. This aspect poses a problem when it comes to extrapolating scientific findings about women's soccer in practice. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the published articles on women's soccer and to provide a guide for action in the coming years. Although good progress has been made in the last decade, it is at a turning point that could allow scientific knowledge about women's soccer to develop exponentially in the coming years and improve collective and individual performance in the near future.
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