Mind the Game: Virtual Reality-Based Cognitive Training to Enhance Decision-Making in Football Athletes

Athletes are frequently recognised for their physical abilities; however, their perceptual-cognitive skills are equally essential for achieving optimal performance. Modern sports science emphasises the assessment and training of these skills, aiming not only to monitor athlete development but also to support talent identification, facilitate return to play, and enhance competitive outcomes. In this context, virtual real ity (VR) has emerged as a promising tool, offering the possibil ity of recreating and manipulating complex sporting scenarios in controlled yet realistic environments.1 It allows for repeated practice and, since it does not involve physical exertion, serves as a valuable training option for injured athletes. However, despite its potential, evidence regarding the effectiveness of VR-based interventions for improving perceptual-cognitive skills remains limited.