“Beyond practice hours“- A systematic review of elite football development pathways

Introduction This systematic review synthesised research on the developmental activities of elite male football players and evaluated what existing evidence reveals about variation in developmental pathways across populations and contexts. Methods Guided by the Developmental Model of Sport Participation, a framework synthesis was employed to integrate predominantly quantitative data within a qualitative, context-sensitive approach. Eighteen peer-reviewed studies were included following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, examining engagement in domain-specific activities (structured training, competition and informal play) and non-domain-specific activities (other sports). Results Early exposure to football was consistent across the reviewed studies, with differentiation towards elite performance emerging during adolescence through increased structured, coach-led practice. Evidence supporting early diversification was inconsistent, while engagement in informal play varied considerably across populations. Although developmental activity patterns differed between populations, the primary studies rarely measured the socio-cultural, institutional or environmental conditions potentially associated with these differences. Discussion The review extends existing knowledge by distinguishing between evidence describing what elite players did during development and evidence explaining why particular developmental pathways emerged. The findings suggest that expertise development may reflect a dynamic interaction between structured training and socio-cultural environments, supporting a context-dependent understanding of football expertise. Future research should combine developmental activity histories with direct measurements of contextual factors to better explain how different pathways to elite football emerge. Systematic Review Registration PROSPERO identifier CRD420251244740.