Thomas Peeters, Associate Professor at Erasmus School of Economics, gives his take on why a small country like Uruguay is good at football, but a world power like China is not. He did so in an article published by BNNVARA's VARAgids.
According to Peeters, there are several factors that influence a country's performance in international football. The most common factors for succes that are visible according to him is that there should be a lot of people, who did not grow up in poverty. China has made a lot of strides in this and, on the contrary to what is actually happening, should be a good player at the international football level. In addition, good performances by a country can in turn influence other players to want to join as well.
Another factor that is important is the climate. Generally, temperatures around 15 degrees on average are best, according to Peeters. Yet there are countries that have adapted well. Iceland, for instance, has heated football pitches and covered fields. Incidentally, the country's government often does not have that much influence. In Europe, it is mainly private investors that clubs rely on. Next, a country's efficiency in football can be seen by how many people travel abroad. According to Peeters, less developed countries should embrace this internationalisation in order to develop further.
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You can download the full article from VARAgids, 10 June 2024, above.