Role models in football: admire without copying and build your own style
Role models in football can help you grow if you observe them properly: not to copy their gestures, boots or way of speaking, but to understand how they think, move and make decisions. Day 13 of the 2026 World Cup offered a useful lesson for any teenage player: admiring a player does not mean stopping being yourself, saying goodbye well also says something about your character, and market noise should never matter more than what you do on the pitch.
Role models in football: admiring is not copying
France beat Norway 4–1 with an Ousmane Dembélé hat-trick and finished top of their group, according to Reuters and match reports. (Reuters) But Day 13 also produced a particularly useful comment for a young player: Quim Junyent, captain of Spain’s under-19 side, explained that he watches Pedri closely because he considers him different and observes how he moves, scans space and carries the ball. (Mundo Deportivo)
That is the key. Having role models in football is not about copying a celebration or trying to look like somebody else. It is about observing what that player does better and asking yourself what you can learn from it.
If you admire Pedri, do not copy only his image. Look at how he scans before receiving. Look at how he positions his body. Look at when he accelerates and when he slows the game down. Look at how he plays simply without losing influence. That is what can actually help you improve.
Copying can give you an appearance. Observing with judgement gives you tools.
Build your own style, not an imitation
It is normal to have idols. Every young player has looked at somebody at some point and thought: “I want to play like that”. The problem begins when you try to become an exact copy.
Your body is not the same. Your position may not be either. Your team plays differently. Your coach asks different things from you. Your strengths and difficulties are your own.
Role models in football should act as partial mirrors, not complete templates. You can take calmness from one player, defensive aggression from another, body positioning from another and mentality from someone else. But afterwards, you have to build your own version.
At Marcet, learning does not mean repeating a gesture just because a star performs it. It means understanding why that gesture works, in which context it appears and how you can adapt it to your own game. An intelligent player does not imitate isolated movements: they learn principles.
Saying goodbye well is also part of the game
Day 13 also brought a significant farewell. Dani Ceballos ended his spell at Real Madrid after nine years and did so with a message of gratitude towards the club, his team-mates, coaches, employees and supporters. Cadena SER and AS reported that he left thanking everyone for the chapter and saying that he was leaving with the peace of mind of having given everything. (Cadena SER)
This is football too. It is not only about how you arrive at a team, but also about how you leave.
One day you may change club, academy or age group. Perhaps because you need a new challenge, because you are not getting minutes, because your family moves away or because the project no longer suits you. Leaving is not necessarily wrong. But doing it resentfully, speaking badly about everyone or burning relationships says a great deal about your maturity.
Saying goodbye well does not mean denying difficult moments. You may have had bad spells, time on the bench or frustrations. But being grateful for what you experienced shows that you understand the full journey. A player who knows how to close chapters respectfully is usually better prepared to open the next one.
Market noise is not the match
Marcet’s source material for Day 13 stresses one clear warning: the business of luxury boxes and transfer-market movements filled almost as many headlines as the football itself. Sports media have also highlighted the financial scale of VIP experiences and hospitality boxes during the 2026 World Cup. (Diario Expreso)
All of this can attract a lot of attention. Transfers, figures, rumours, agents, VIP boxes, celebrities. But none of it improves your first touch, your reading of space or your concentration before receiving the ball.
For a teenage player, the danger is beginning to look at football as though you were a catalogue item: how much you are worth, who is watching you, which club appears, which video is circulating. That side of football may exist professionally, but it should not occupy the centre of your mind.
The role models in football who truly help you are not the ones who make you dream only about contracts. They are the ones who teach you habits: training well, making better decisions, looking after the team, competing with humility and maintaining performance when there is noise around you.
Scientific basis: role models influence you, but your identity should remain your own
Research into young athletes shows that role models can influence how adolescents construct their sporting identity. A study on role models among young athletes found that many admired successful sportspeople for their commitment, ability and work ethic, while also looking for examples that did not consume their entire identity outside sport. (ScienceDirect)
A systematic review on athletic identity in young athletes also indicates that participation in teams influences how adolescents see themselves as athletes. (PMC) This matters because a role model can help you imagine a pathway, but should not erase who you are.
Gratitude also has a place in youth sport research. One study involving adolescent athletes found that gratitude was associated with greater life satisfaction through perceived team cohesion. (IDEAS/RePEc) Put simply: gratitude is not just a nice phrase; it can strengthen the way you connect with your team.
That is why choosing your role models in football carefully is not a minor detail. What you admire eventually influences how you train, how you compete and what kind of player you try to become.
How to learn from a role model without losing yourself
First, choose one specific quality. Do not simply say “I want to play like Pedri” or “I want to be like Mbappé”. Say something more useful: “I want to scan before receiving”, “I want to attack space better”, “I want to decide more calmly” or “I want to press more aggressively after losing possession”.
Second, adapt that quality to your position. If you are a centre-back, you do not need to copy the same movements as a winger. But you can still learn from their concentration, body orientation or way of competing.
Third, compare your habits more than your image. It does not matter whether you wear the same boots or celebrate in the same way. What matters is whether you train with intention, correct mistakes and understand the game better.
Fourth, be grateful for your journey. Coaches, team-mates and family are part of your development. If you leave a team one day, try to do it respectfully. The way you close a chapter also leaves a mark.
Fifth, switch off the noise when necessary. The market, VIP boxes, rumours and social media can entertain you, but they should not direct your training.
Common mistakes with role models in football
The first mistake is copying without understanding. If you imitate an action without knowing why it works, you will probably use it at the wrong time.
The second mistake is choosing role models only because of fame. A very famous player is not always the best model for what you need to learn right now.
The third mistake is becoming frustrated because you do not play like your idol. You do not have their body, experience or context. Your task is to build your own development.
The fourth mistake is forgetting the people who helped you. Football changes quickly, but gratitude is remembered.
The fifth mistake is allowing the market to distract you. Just because people talk about figures does not mean those figures matter for your development. What matters most is still what you do on the pitch.
Expert quote
Having role models is positive if you learn to observe principles rather than copy appearances. The aim is not to look like somebody else, but to build your own style from what you understand about the game. Elite football reveals what you need to translate into your own game.
— José Ignacio Marcet · Marcet Research Institute · 2026 World Cup Development Observatory · Code 202603182024
Frequently asked questions
Is it good to have role models in football?
Yes, if you use them to learn habits and decisions rather than copy an image. A good role model helps you observe the game better and set specific objectives.
How can I learn from a player without copying them?
Choose one specific quality: how they scan before receiving, move without the ball, defend or make decisions. Then adapt that quality to your position and team.
What if my style is nothing like my idol’s?
That is completely fine. Your goal is not to become a copy. You can admire somebody while still building your own style around your body, position and strengths.
Why is saying goodbye well to a team important?
Because football is also built on relationships. Leaving with gratitude and respect shows maturity, even if the chapter included difficult moments.
How can I avoid getting distracted by transfers, money and the market?
Return to tasks that depend on you: train well, listen to feedback, look after your habits and improve your decisions. The market makes noise; your progress is decided on the pitch.
Practical conclusion
Day 13 of the 2026 World Cup offered one clear lesson for any teenage player: role models in football are useful when they help you learn, not when they turn you into a copy. Admire, observe, adapt and build your own style.
Also learn to close chapters with gratitude and not allow the market to take the place of the game. The noise passes. What remains is how you train, how you make decisions, how you treat others and the kind of footballer you are becoming.
Keep learning with Marcet Knowledge
At Marcet Knowledge, you can continue understanding football from the inside: how to build your identity as a player, how to learn from the best without copying them and how to turn every stage of the journey into genuine learning.
