The un-development of soccer in under-developed nations

Cosme · Jun 28, 2005

I thought this was a pretty interesting read:

Richer countries have a leg up

It's often suggested that baseball teams in richer cities have an unfair edge. Franchises such as the New York Yankees, bolstered by strong revenues, can afford to pay for better training facilities and the best players, the argument goes.

Something similar could be happening in soccer, where richer countries may have a growing advantage. A study by Goldman, Sachs & Co.'s London-based economists notes that in terms of soccerwins, " the more successful nations in Europe and Latin America [are] also the most prosperous." The Goldman report also showed some correlation between per capita income and the rankings of FIFA, the international soccer federation.

Richer countries did seem to make a better showing in this year's World Cup, at least in the earlier rounds. The 32 nations in the 2002 tournament included 9 of the biggest 10 economies. Among them were the U.S. and Japan, the world's two largest economies, which only recently have begun to field top-quality teams. By comparison, the group of 32 in the 1998 World Cup included only 7 of the biggest 10 economies.

It's difficult for poor countries to pay for the best coaches and team training. Out of the countries that made it into the round of 16 this year, only Brazil, Paraguay, Senegal, and Turkey had a per-capita income below the global average of $6,693.

But national wealth, while important, didn't have the final say in how countries fared in this year's contest. The average per capita income of the countries in the round of 16 was $16,642 (chart). The eight winners in the quarter finals had an average income of $15,238. By the time the tournament was down to four, the countries' average was $12,011. Nevertheless, if rich nations keep improving, it may become harder for poor countries to compete in the World Cup on equal terms.

Copyright 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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Could spell disaster in future cups.

Elninho · Jun 29, 2005

Interesting. But if one is going to point out that the United States and Japan are rich, one might as well also point out that both have very large populations - larger than most of the major European powers, in fact - and are nations in which soccer is just starting to gain popularity. Also note: "9 of the 10 largest economies" is ambiguous with regard to actual wealth, because all of the largest economies have large populations as well. With China also qualifying for its first World Cup in 2002, the same data can be used to show that soccer is becoming globalized to the point that power is shifting toward more populous countries.

Gary V · Jun 29, 2005

Richer countries did seem to make a better showing in this year's World Cup, at least in the earlier rounds.
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The US should have been regularly winning the thing since inception then, right?

usscouse · Jun 30, 2005

Better tell this to countries like Nigeria then.