We are thrilled to announce that the Wharton AI & Analytics Initiative (WAIAI) and the Wharton Sports Analytics and Business Initiative (WSABI) are entering into a new partnership with PFF FC, a soccer-based spinoff of the best-in-class sports analytics group PFF.

During this research project, WAIAI, WSABI, and PFF FC will examine extensive player tracking and event data to develop advanced models for analyzing player performance, focusing on games from the English Premier League (EPL), Major League Soccer (MLS), and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. A primary goal of this collaboration, per PFF FC, is to “improve performance metrics by leveraging player tracking data” and “refine game event analysis and enhance decision-making processes for teams and analysts alike.”

For WAIAI and WSABI, this partnership offers unprecedented access to comprehensive player tracking data, which, in the hands of WAIAI’s global network of leading researchers, will help generate invaluable insights into player performance. The outcome of the groups’ research could have wide-reaching impact on how soccer leagues around the globe measure and understand the performance of their players.

“This collaboration marks a significant step forward in the application of data science to football analytics,” says PFF FC. “By uniting Wharton’s academic rigor with PFF FC’s industry-leading expertise, this initiative promises to deliver innovations that redefine how player performance is measured and understood.”

Be sure to follow WSABI and WAIAI on social media for more updates about this groundbreaking partnership.