World Cup: how mental health influences players’ performance on the pitch

Psychologist Katia Rubio, professor at the Faculty of Education at the University of São Paulo (USP), understands that the 2020 Olympics, held in Tokyo, Japan, represented a watershed in the relationship between the mind and sports performance.

“There has never been so much talk about mental health and sport as during and after the most recent Olympic Games”, he assesses.

It is worth remembering that the dispute took place in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic, in which everyone had to isolate themselves and stay away from family and friends. During the competition, the case of American gymnast Simone Biles, who withdrew from some competitions due to issues related to mental well-being, made headlines around the world.

Will a similar scenario be repeated in the 2022 World Cup, held in Qatar?

Rubio, who was also president of the Brazilian Association of Sports Psychology, dedicates his career to studying the subject and rescuing the memory of Brazilian athletes.

In her view, the resistance about mental health in the world of football is also decreasing considerably in recent years.

“And this happens more strongly in women’s football, which already has several successful interventions”, he says.

“In men, there is greater resistance, even because of machismo and that false notion that men don’t cry, are powerful and cannot talk about sentimental issues.”

“This only delays access to fundamental support for the athlete’s life”, laments the psychologist.

But Rubio sees that, even among men, this emotional block is gradually diminishing.

She cites the example of players she classifies as “pioneers in mental health” for speaking openly that they consulted psychiatrists and were diagnosed with depression.

In the last two decades, athletes like Pedrinho, a former player for Palmeiras and Vasco, and Nilmar, who wore the shirts of Internacional, Corinthians and Santos, gave interviews on the subject.

“They rendered an immeasurable service to the sport, as they put themselves in the position of people who suffer, like anyone else. And that started to promote a ‘thaw’ in mental issues within football”, he recalls.

Mental health at the forefront

The professional also highlights how psychology is relevant within competitive sports.

“Mental health enters the field with the same influence as physical preparation, nutrition, physiology, biomechanics…”, he lists.

“And there is no doubt that the mind directly interferes with an athlete’s performance”, he adds.

That is: an athlete who has some imbalance in mental well-being will not be able to focus on the game. With that, he won’t be able to make the best decisions for himself and the team – which even affects the final score of a match.

Rubio cites another constant concern of specialists in the field who deal with athletes: sleep.

“We know that the day before the competition is usually more complicated for them.”

“And we have a series of strategies so that the players can sleep well, because a good night’s sleep is fundamental for them to have the minimum conditions to act in the field”, he points out.

The cup that comes around

Rubio understands that, for Brazil to be champion again, it will be necessary for “the collective gains to stand out over the individual projects”.

“It seems to me that, for the current generation of players, the most important thing is the possibility of getting commercial contracts based on victories”, he analyzes.

In the psychologist’s view, this represents a barrier to great achievements.

“While a team does not understand that everyone wins with a title, it is very difficult to reach a victory in the final”, he analyzes.

The researcher also highlights another aspect that influences the relationship between the national team and Brazilians: the fact that most players compete in European leagues and are far from the reality of the country.

“Many athletes go abroad, rise socially, uncontrollably expand their heritage and disconnect from the life they had previously”, he describes.

“And that happens because their career is mediated by other people, who see them as an object, a commodity🇧🇷 In the minds of these businessmen and leaders, the more removed from social issues these athletes are, the better.”

“But it is clear that there are players who, somehow, preserve control of their personal lives and create a well-structured support network, capable of creating a shield against these influences”, he adds.

And this lack of contact with reality can remain hidden for many years, until it flows into specific situations.

As an example, the psychologist remembers the moments when Brazilian players sang the National Anthem before the 2014 World Cup games, played in the country.

“There, the level of lack of control of some was very evident. For those people, who had lived outside Brazil for years, that feeling was locked in a box and came out all at once on those occasions”, he evaluates.

Between leaders and scapegoats

The psychologist reinforces the importance of identifying the profile of each player and how he can contribute during the game.

“There is a maxim that says: the best team is not the one with the greatest sum of individual values, but how these values ​​are related”, he cites.

She explains that, in general, it is possible to divide individuals into introverts and extroverts. From then on, some will be rational, sentimental, intuitive or sensitive.

“See how complex it is to identify these profiles and make them interact in balance throughout a game”, he observes.

Rúbio highlights the coach’s role — and the team’s team of psychologists — in identifying leaders on the field.

“In football, there is the captain, in which the role of leader is materialized by the armband on his arm. But there may be other technical and cognitive references within a team.”

“And each of them stands out in specific contexts. In a moment of greater tension in the match, some athletes will call for responsibility to create the plays. Now, when you need to be cold-blooded to maintain a favorable score, others may exercise a second type of influence”, he compares.

“A winning team starts when the coach is able to identify all these profiles and get the best out of each player, according to their characteristics”, he summarizes.

But of course these traits can also have negative influences and wreck the work of the entire team.

Rubio cites the role of athletes who act as saboteurs and those who become scapegoats.

“The saboteur acts behind the scenes to address personal interests above collective ones”, he teaches.

With this, he manages to elect and manipulate scapegoats who, in the worst case, are blamed for failure.

“It is up to the technician and the leader to identify and unmask this saboteur”, evaluates

“Especially because, when identified, this individual is exposed and loses influence”, concludes the researcher.