The Role of eSports in the Development of Motor and Social Skills in Youth Football: A Systematic Review

Esports is an industry that has attracted the attention of governments, sports organisations and academics worldwide. However, it is still unclear in the scientific literature what the impact of this growing participation in eSports is on real sports practice, particularly in the football context. The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review to assess the impact of eSports on sporting practice, particularly football, focusing on the improvement of social, cognitive and motor, technical and tactical skills in young footballers. Systematic search was conducted using online databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed and Scopus. The process was performed in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The screening process was summarized by means of a flow chart in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Following the screening, 4 articles focused on the relationship and comparison between eSports and sporting activity in general and 5 articles on the influence of video games on young people's cognitive abilities. A positive effect on the stimulation of cognitive skills such as decision making, memory and cognitive flexibility emerges, suggesting that the controlled and targeted use of video games can complement training protocols in sports. In conclusion, the strategic integration of eSports in youth sport activities, especially in football, could represent an opportunity to improve performance both on the technical-tactical and psychophysical level.