A bibliometric review mapping a quarter-century of talent development research in sport (2000–2025): Knowledge structures, paradigm shifts, and future directions
Zhicheng Pan, Emily Dunn, Shuge ZhangObjective
Talent development in sport has been growing, but the synthesis of the field's knowledge remains fragmented. This study therefore aimed to systematically synthesise knowledge structures and evolution in this field using bibliometric methods.
Methods
We conducted a bibliometric science mapping of 1,072 articles published between 2000 and 2025, retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection through a systematic search. Using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the Bibliometrix R package, we examined
Results
Results indicated an escalation in scholarly output, predominantly driven by institutions in England, Australia, North American and European countries, revealing an underrepresentation of the Global South in research collaboration and knowledge exchange. Crucially, thematic and co-citation analyses revealed a profound paradigm shift: the field has evolved from an early, reductionist focus on static talent identification and physical metrics (heavily influenced by soccer), toward dynamic, holistic, and ecological approaches to long-term athlete development. Thematic trends highlight the integration of psycho-behavioural skills, athlete well-being, and data-driven methodologies such as machine learning.
Conclusion
The findings reveal a field transitioning from static talent identification paradigms towards dynamic, ecologically driven, and psychologically informed models of athlete development. Future research should address critical gaps by diversifying across sports, expanding beyond Western-centric demographics, and establishing best practices for evaluating how holistic, developmentally focused frameworks translate into measurable athlete retention, performance enhancement, and well-being in real-world settings.