ABSTRACT
National youth sport culture plays an important role during talent identification and development. Despite its global popularity, nations often adopt diverse talent pathways in youth soccer, depending on their country’s philosophical approach and individual constraints. Therefore, it is important to understand what, how, and why talent pathways operate across different nations and recognise it is not necessarily a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Drawing from the international expertise of the authors, the purpose of this chapter is to provide an exploration of various national talent pathways in male soccer, including: (a) Canada, (b) England, (c) Germany, (d) Gibraltar, (e) India, (f) Republic of Ireland, (g) Scotland, (h) the Netherlands, and (i) the United States. Each exemplar will offer a critical analysis of the organisational structures that are embedded into their respective talent pathways by exploring considerations such as: (a) population, (b) popularity, (c) sociocultural influences, (c) formal selection age, (d) activities, (e) trajectories, (f) professional opportunities, and (g) specialist support. Finally, contextual and methodological considerations for researchers and practitioners are provided to help better understand the role of national youth sport culture as part of talent identification and development in youth soccer.
