Argentina’s Lionel Messi, England’s Bukayo Saka, Spain’s Lamine Yamal and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah are all highly skilled soccer players in slightly different ways, as is the tall, powerful and technically proficient Norwegian, Erling Haaland.
What unites all these players, however, is a unique advantage that falls squarely at their feet – they are all naturally “left-footed”.
While 14–17% of the global population is left-footed, in international football teams the proportion rises to 23–32% – and even as high as 41% among defenders on youth teams in the Netherlands.
Why? And what are the advantages of being left-footed when it comes to elite soccer?
Tactical value
Partly it’s because when building teams, selectors look not just for fitness, movement and cognitive skills, but also for left-footedness – this trait has enormous strategic value on the pitch.
One Dutch study found that being left-footed increased the chances of being selected in national youth development teams. (It does not, however, guarantee progression to elite levels; at selection stages these athletes are rare but once in the football system, the prevalence of left-footedness increases significantly, which means greater competition for related positions.)
That said, selectors know the tactical value of being left-footed runs deep in football. Teams benefit when players are placed on the side of the field that corresponds with their kicking side preference.
Players positioned in these areas, such as the great Australian left-footer Harry Kewell, can very quickly and efficiently execute skilled one-touch plays (passing or shooting the ball with one touch rather than dribbling).
They don’t have to reposition their stance to receive or pass the ball with their favoured foot – they’re already in position.
Being left-footed is preferable in left-sided positions because when playing the ball forward you don’t have to bring it onto your right side, which is towards the inside of the pitch and therefore showing more of the ball to opposition players (who are then more likely to tackle). Similarly, being right-footed is an advantage on the right side of the pitch.
Left-footed superstars such as Messi can also weaponise this innate advantage when positioned on the right flank as an inverted winger (a winger who plays on the opposite side to their dominant foot and can dribble diagonally across the pitch). Rising Socceroo Cristian Volpato is another example.
Supported by competent right-foot ball handling to keep defenders guessing, they can cut infield onto their dominant foot. This opens up their body stance and expands the player’s field of vision, which creates good angles to pass the ball through to strikers.
Disrupting pattern recognition
Left-footed opponents can also potentially be hard to play against.
This is because players consciously and subconsciously look for patterns in movements, to help them understand what their opponent will do next.
Whether it’s a slight dip in one shoulder, or a subtle movement of the torso, the way someone moves on the field can signal their intent or the overall structure of playing formation.
When these patterns are disrupted due to the less familiar movement patterns of left-footers, opposing players might need additional time to synthesise information, make a decision, then act on it.
While elite players will be very experienced at dealing with left-footed as well as right-footed opponents, these crucial milliseconds could be vital at an event like the World Cup.
Can you train your left foot?
Yes – and everyone should if they want to improve as a player. That said, it does not change your innate preference.
Instead, you develop a level of functional ambidexterity (where you train your non-preferred side to be as functional as your preferred side, or close to it).
But importantly, players who put in the time and the work to do this are highly valued.
And with some research showing left-handers score slightly better at creative thinking tests – due to years of adapting in a world designed for right-handers – perhaps left-footed players have a similar advantage.
As you watch your favourite players during the World Cup and admire their fitness, brains and skill, you might also wonder at the magic the left-footers bring to the pitch.
