In this paper, a probabilistic simulator for the upcoming FIFA World Cup is developed. For that, we develop a simulation model that can predict the outcome of a match by calculating a win expectancy for both participating teams based on several rules, that take into account different rating methods and can be arbitrarily weighted and combined by the user. The process of deriving the rules’ form...

PURPOSE The available scientific research regarding injury prevention practices in international football is sparse. The purpose of this study was to quantify current practice with regard to (1) injury prevention of top-level footballers competing in an international tournament, and (2) determine the main challenges and issues faced by practitioners in these national teams. METHODS A survey w...

The impact of the sporting industry on economic decision making has increased dramatically since the global media explosion in the 1980s. Tourism and advertising revenues generated by these mega-events have become a major boost to the economies of hosting nations. In addition, globalisation has placed great emphasis on the importance of foreign direct investment (FDI), especially to developing ...

The 18th FIFA Soccer World Cup 2006 in Germany enthused millions of people worldwide, but only little is known about the association of such an event with cardiovascular events. Modest physical activity is known to reduce the cardiovascular risk significantly. On the other hand, vigorous physical activity and emotional strain increase the cardiovascular risk and the incidence of cardiovascular ...

In this article an approach for the analysis and prediction of soccer match results is proposed. It is based on a regularized Poisson regression model that includes various potentially influential covariates describing the national teams’ success in previous FIFA World Cups. Additionally, similar to Bradley-Terry-Luce models, differences of team-specific effects of the competing teams are inclu...