Soccer

All-Star Based Evaluation of Draft Value Curves Across Major North American Sports Leagues

Web-Header-WAIAI-1-650x442 Wharton Sports Analytics Journal SPRING 2026 All-Star Based Evaluation of Draft Value Curves Across Major North American Sports Leagues AUTHORS Jordan Abell, Latin School of Chicago Felix Soloway-Gilbert, Pilgrim School Jonathan Pipping-Gamón, University of Pennsylvania  Abraham J. Wyner, University of Pennsylvania ABSTRACT We examine how draft-pick value declines over the course of the draft…Read More

AI Special Feature: AI-Assisted Substitution Decisions: A Fuzzy Logic Approach to Real-Time Game Management

Web-Header-WAIAI-1-650x442 Wharton Sports Analytics Journal FALL 2025 AI Special Feature: AI-Assisted Substitution Decisions: A Fuzzy Logic Approach to Real-Time Game Management AUTHOR Pedro Passos Farias, Institute of Computing – Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF) ABSTRACT With millions on the line every match, top soccer clubs still make critical substitution decisions based largely…Read More

Beyond Expected Goals: A Possession-Aware View of Chance Creation in Soccer

A person with headphones monitors multiple screens displaying sports statistics and a live soccer match in a stadium setting.

Beyond Expected Goals (xG+) redefines how we measure scoring danger in soccer by valuing not just shots—but the moments that create them. By combining the probability of taking a shot with the chance of scoring it, xG+ captures players’ true creative impact, better predicts team performance, and finally gives credit for the skill that happens before the shot.…Read More

Optimal Substitution Time

Composite image of football Research Note Optimal Substitution Time Authors: Kaishu Mason, WG'25 Paul Sabin, Senior Sports Analytics Fellow, Wharton Sports Analytics and Business Initiative Published: October 31, 2024 The Greatest Game In the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina, France was down two goals as their hope of repeating as World Cup Champions…Read More