The Role of a Captain in a Soccer Team: How to Lead Your Team to Victory

The captain of a soccer team has many more roles than just leading the team onto the field before a match or communicating with the referee. They are the leader of the entire team, inspiring and motivating others, and should therefore set an example and be among the best and most experienced players. Besides physical fitness, mental balance and popularity within the group are also important when choosing a captain. What else should they possess to lead the team to victory in a match and throughout the competition?

The Coach is a Manager, the Captain is a Leader

Whilethe coachof the team is mainly responsible formanagement and strategic decisions, the captain is in charge of leading the soccer teamboth in the locker room and on the field. First and foremost,it isthereforenecessary for them to be a good leader,who motivates players to win but can also accept defeat. If they learn from it and lead other team members to do the same, it's clear they don't wear the captain's armband by chance.

Basic Qualities of a Captain

Not only in soccer, but captains must havea passion for the game and teamwork, enough courage and a consistent approach.Only then can they earn the privilege of leading the entire team, become an authority, and gain the trust and recognition of the team. What does this look like in practice?

Passion

Every captain should becompetitive,but that is obviously not enough. What's important isenthusiasm for the game and team spirit,where the well-being of others is prioritized over their own needs. They always care about the opinions and feelings of others, strive to have apositive attitudeand respect the players' privacy. This way, they can easily find solutions to individual disputes and matters concerning the entire team.

Courage

Good captains also havecourage.They must be able to step in when the going gets tough, are not intimidated by challenges, and can handlethe balland potential defeat.They embody the core values of the teamand their bravery often motivates others. They themselves alsosupport and motivate playersto achieve high goals, which they often set themselves.

Consistency and Determination

In professional sports, everything needs to be done 100%, and this applies toleadership in soccer. A good captain knows this and adheres to it during matches and training. They have their own communication style, which doesn't necessarily have to be verbal. Sometimes it manifests through actions, other times they are an extrovert who draws everyone's attention. The key here is the mentionedconsistent approach, authenticity, and keeping promises.Of course, they demand the same from their team.

Other Important Qualities

Besides the three mentioned attributes, most soccer coaches and managers agree on five qualities that a good captain should have. Apart from technical skills, it is necessary for them to bementally strong, communicative, emotionally balanced, confident, and to know each player well.The path to victory and recovery from defeat will be much easier for everyone.

How to Choose the Ideal Candidate?

In professional soccer, usuallythe coach and management team choose the captain.However,players often elect the captain themselves,and the coach respects their wishes. As shown in many prestigious global competitions,it doesn't necessarily have to be the best player.Instead, it's essential for them to unify the team, have authority, get along with the coach, and find common ground with every team member.

In the top leagues the captain is often also in the media spotlight, so they must know how to communicate with them. This is considered when selecting a captain, and the decision should not be based solely on the experience of the player or their goal statistics. “Technical skills do not always align with relational competencies; the most prominent player on the team may not be the one who best handles the duties that come with the role of captain,” said Nicolò Cavalieri. He added that for this reason, many Argentinians disagreed with the leadership of Albiceleste (the Argentine national team) in awarding the captain's armband to Lionel Messi and preferred Javier Mascherano as a leader.