Is Mental Toughness in Football More Important than Technical Skills?

One of the main abilities that makes the difference between world-class players and good players is mental toughness in football.

Mental toughness in football is one of the most important abilities for professional sportsmen. Some might even say it is more important than technical skills.

• Confidence and composure are very important
• Handling pressure is a must at the highest level
• Lack of mental skills means inability to be the best

Of course the best football players in history have it all, but the requirements are not always the same. Possessing technical skills used to be enough in the past, but soccer, as a whole, always keeps changing. Modern football requires more than dribbling skills, modern football requires serious mental strength.

Technical skills are not necessarily the most important things when examining the best players

Ricardo Quaresma almost has it all. He has incredible dribbling skills, he can shoot on target perfectly from far distance and he is capable of playing a very spectacular game. Yet he is not even close to being regarded as one of the best football players in the world, despite the fact that online sportsbooks in Portugal used to expect much more from his career than how he turned out to be.

The key is mental toughness in football

Cristiano Ronaldo is the most successful and the most hated football player

One of the hardest things in the lives of football stars is being able to cope with criticism. Once players become successful, famous and rich, many football fans will support them and express a great deal of respect. However, hatred will always be there. And the very best players always need to handle the pressure coming with it and need to let go of it without letting it affect their performances. This is one of the main abilities that puts Cristiano Ronaldo among the best players in the history of football. No one ever received as much hatred as he did, but according to his own words, that is what makes him unstoppable.

C. Ronaldo coped with hatred and became the number 1 football player

Even haters can’t deny what an exceptional player CR7 is

The Portuguese winger has shown it several times that he is capable of closing out the world around him and concentrate completely on his game and his team’s success. Millions and millions have mocked and provoked him every single time he went on the pitch. His own supporters have whistled at him. Yet, he never gave up and continued scoring goals. That is one of the main reasons why he won 5 Golden Balls throughout his career. That is also one of the main reasons why he quickly became all-time top scorer at Real Madrid as well as the Champions League.

Confidence and composure – really important mental skills for football

Being able to concentrate 100% on the game also helps in other fields of the game. Keeping a cool head and remaining composed even in the hottest situations requires incredible mental power. This comes really handy in penalty-shootouts, or when the team needs to score a goal in the last seconds of the match. online gambling sites in Portugal believe that the perfect example to show this is their national hero, Cristiano Ronaldo, whom his mates can always rely on whenever they need an important goal.

Being able to read the game like Pirlo or Xavi creates balance on the midfield

Messi became the world’s best for being one step ahead of the defenders all the time

Players like Balotelli lack the mental skills needed in football