its all about vision and the skill to get the pass through. the foot movement looks pretty, but the execution is what matters. like my coach used to say... "bicycle shots get you laid, tap ins get you paid"
I believe technical ability and maturity at a young age are the most important attributes for success. All things being equal I think 1) technical ability has the biggest impact on how far a player will go. After you get into a professional organization it will be 2) mature thinking that will separate you from the others and gain the respect of the coach. Many good players make silly, sometimes emotional decisions rather than keeping it simple and advancing as a unit. It's a team with a lot of players in motion and one mistake can spell disaster. In a growing league like the MLS we have athletes with physical attributes and technical ability but not enough players with maturity / experience to consistently compete with the top leagues.
I write a blog focused a lot on speed, strength, etc. so I'm big on those qualities, including mental toughness. However, without skills, you cannot play soccer. Skills are number one. www.empoweredathletes.com
I'd agree with this. The single most important thing is making the right decisions. You have to have the technical and physical ability to execute those decisions, but as long as you are able to do what you intend to do in a game situation, it's enough.
In discussing qualities that matter in sport, a lot of people confuse speed and quickness. I wrote a short article that attempts to define them. Here it is if it may be of benefit to any of you: http://www.empoweredathletes.com/soccer-speed-vs-soccer-quickness/
If there is a single attribute it is first touch. The ability to get the ball exactly where you want it instantly is what separates the park players from the pros in my opinion. The best example I have seen of this was lahm. Within one second he could receive and distribute the ball because of his first touch being perfect.
Interestingly no one (myself included) has mentioned mindset. I still think skill is number one, but without a good mentality there is no chance to go big. It is discussed specific to soccer players HERE.
Intelligence is key... followed shortly by sound technique (IMO) Not just being able to see a pass before the ball arrives... but being able to find space, create space for others, know when to carry the ball and when to pop it off first time... when to cover defensively watch videos of Xabi Alonso
Good looks followed closely by a charming personality. Because if you don't have the looks or the charm to get the girls what's the point of being a soccer player?
If you mean the most important, Then they , in my opinion, are : Decision making and Off-ball movement. Here is my complete detailed explanation and justification : The 2 most important attributes in modern football.
If your one of the best players in the world you could be as ugly as a beast and still get beautiful women. After having all the skills to be great it comes down to still being a good decision maker. So Ahmad is right.
And if you really think about it, off-the-ball movement is mostly decision making. It's all about making the right decisions when you don't have the ball. Anyone remember Mario Jardel from 10-15 years ago? Averaged more than a goal a game in the Portuguese league for six seasons, won the European Golden Boot twice and was the first foreigner to win Portugal's Player of the Year award, scored 36 times in 55 games in UEFA competitions. I watched him absolutely shred Real Madrid and AC Milan when he was playing for Porto. All this even though he was slow, overweight, and had only average technique compared to other pros. Most of his goals were tap-ins, but they all counted! That's the power of intelligent movement off the ball.
Europe's largest football talent under the age of 12 years could live in Austria. The boy has two absolutely right feet. From 8:40 in the video he shows how he behaves in the game. It is reminiscent of very large players.