Wikipedia:Notability (sports)/Association football

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Below is the proposal for new WP:NFOOTBALL guidelines by User:GiantSnowman – please do not edit this without discussion and consensus on the talk page first!

GiantSnowman's introduction/explanation[edit]

Following this recent RfC, while to some degree it remains open to debate/interpretation what the community consensus was, and what the community actually wants, it is clear that the current guidelines are not fit for purpose.

Therefore a balance needs to be struck between the two 'sides' of the debate – and so whilst participating at a certain level of football can make people notable, that level can only be justified or measured if it (and the players in it) is subject to significant coverage that means a large majority of the players pass WP:NBASIC.

It is clear that the current list of 'notable' leagues is far too large. However, my initial new list is based only on my personal knowledge and experience (16 years+ as an editor, nearly 500,000 edits, participated in immeasurable AFDs and other discussions on notability etc.) – unfortunately I do not have the time to undertake any scientific analysis of the leagues, so there might be ones I have not included that other editors can justify adding, and there might be leagues I have included that other editors can justify removing. This is especially true of women's football, where my knowledge is not nearly as strong as men's football.

Accordingly, while I have drafted the below only as a starting point for a new guideline, hopefully it is seen as a positive start and as a good foundation to build upon, and hopefully it balances the views and concerns on both 'sides'. Giant Snowman 12:35, 13 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Current guideline[edit]

Significant coverage is likely to exist for association football (soccer) figures if they meet the following:

Players who have played in, and managers who have managed in, any Tier 1 International Match as defined by FIFA,^[1] or in a competitive senior international match at confederation level regardless of whether or not the teams are members of FIFA.
Players who have played, and managers who have managed, in a competitive game between two teams from fully professional leagues. See a list of fully professional leagues kept by WikiProject Football.

Note: For the purposes of this guideline, "played" means having appeared in a match either in the starting lineup or coming on as a substitute. Youth players, or players at the Olympics, are not presumed notable unless they satisfy one of the statements above, or if they can be shown to meet the wider requirements of WP:NBASIC.

Proposed guideline[edit]

The notability of association football (soccer) figures is assessed on the basis that the level that they compete at is the subject of significant coverage. Accordingly, significant coverage is likely to exist for association football (soccer) figures if they meet the following:

Players who have played in, and managers who have managed in, any Tier 1 International Match as defined by FIFA.^[1]
Players who have played, and managers who have managed, in a competitive game between two teams from a 'notable' league.

Note: For the purposes of this guideline, "played" means having appeared in a match either in the starting lineup or coming on as a substitute. Being on a team's squad roster is not sufficient. Youth players, or players at the Olympics, are not likely to be notable unless they satisfy one of the statements above, or if they can be shown to meet the wider requirements of WP:NBASIC. Please also note that, in either case, association football (soccer) figures ultimately must meet the wider requirements of WP:NBASIC.