Every quarter we take a deep dive into the latest research in sports science. In this edition we look at the latest research on factors influencing team vs. individual performance more, examples of turning coaching failure into future success, and how to implement pressure training.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve written extensively about some key performance aspects of the World Cup; how to prepare for performance in the heat and altitude, how to manage travel and time change, how to manage load, and how to handle the pressure of a penalty shootout. At this stage of the tournament, the teams that are doing well are undoubtedly going to be those that are getting these things right. But I’m not the only person who has been writing about the challenges of the World Cup – researchers have been busily publishing papers on the topic too. This article, the last in my World Cup series, pulls out the best of these, and tells us what we can learn from them—and how we might be able to apply these aspects to our own work with athletes.
Having looked at the influence of heat and altitude and travel and match demands at the 2026 World Cup, I’ll now turn my attention to the next topic in my World Cup preparation series: preparing for pressure.
Preparing for the World Cup means preparing for some of the most unique demands in sport. In this multi-part series I’m breaking down each one in detail, starting with an article on preparing for heat and humidity that could influence performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This article looks at another environmental factor: altitude.
Preparing for the World Cup means preparing for some of the most unique demands in sport. In this multi-part series I’m breaking down each one in detail, starting with an article on preparing for heat and humidity that could influence performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This article looks at another environmental factor: altitude.
Preparing for the World Cup means preparing for some of the most unique demands in sport. In this multi-part series I’m breaking down each one in detail, starting with an article on preparing for heat and humidity that could influence performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This article looks at another environmental factor: altitude.
Every four years, the men’s FIFA World Cup takes over the world of sport. Football (I can’t quite bring myself to call it soccer) is probably the closest thing we have to a genuinely universal sport, with cheap equipment, simple rules, the ability to play almost anywhere. It is culturally embedded across Europe, Africa, and South America, with growing popularity in the Middle East, Asia, Oceania, and North America. Football truly is a global sport, with an estimated 270 million people involved in organised versions of the game, and many more playing in parks and streets across the globe.
Every quarter we take a deep dive into the latest research in sports science. In this edition we look at the latest research on inspirational speeches, lessons from motor sports, and more.
Every quarter we take a deep dive into the latest research in sports science. In this edition we look at the latest research on setting goals, post-exercise recovery, team decision making processes, and much more.
2025 was an interesting year for me from a reading perspective – I shifted to consuming more fiction books than ever before (more on this later). Overall, I started 34 books in 2025; this is less than my target of 52, but I think it reflects the stage of life I am at – with two young kids, it’s becoming increasingly common for me to fall asleep having read just a few pages. I’ve also got much better at stopping books that I’m not enjoying or don’t find relevant; when this happens, I can ask ChatGPT for a summary of the main topics, and get some podcasts from the author to understand the key arguments, so I don’t feel like I’m missing out. Below are my best reads from 2025 – hopefully you find some inspiration from them!
