| ID | 135548 |
| Title Proper | Convergence and Soccer |
| Other Title Information | testing for convergence |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Szymanski, Stepan |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | According to the convergence hypothesis, the growth of a nation’s GDP should be negatively correlated with its historical level of GDP; low income nations should be growing faster than high income nations, and the variance of national incomes should fall over time. In recent years, there has been considerable debate about whether we do in fact observe convergence in GDP, and results are mixed. This paper examines a variant of the convergence debate by examining convergence in national team soccer results. Soccer is the most popular sport in world, and almost every nation on the planet has a national team that regularly plays in international competition. This paper examines the results of national soccer teams between 1950 and 2010 and finds that, whether measured by the percentage of games won or by goal difference (goals scored minus goals conceded), there is significant evidence of convergence. This paper then speculates about why it might be so much easier to find evidence of convergence in national team soccer results than for GDP |
| `In' analytical Note | Harvard International Review Vol.36, No.1; Sum.2014: p.41-45 |
| Journal Source | Harvard International Review 2014-03 36, 1 |
| Standard Number | Economic Interest |