Xavi, Lampard, Iniesta: Viral Twitter thread shows the genius of pro players 'scanning'

Xavi is a prime example of the intelligence required to be a world-class footballer.

The Barcelona legend might well be the greatest male player in history when it comes to the ability to read the game, picturing moves unfolding in his mind three or four passes before they even transpired.

You could just see the way in which the eagle-eyed midfielder marauded around the pitch that he was treating football like a chess match, always plotting multiple steps ahead of his opponents.

Now, as fans, it’s an aspect of the sport that we understand to a certain degree and often label it as ‘football IQ’ or ‘footballing brain’ in reference to players like Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Andrea Pirlo in particular.

However, it’s one thing to have a rough idea about how elite footballers master the game and another thing entirely to look under the bonnet to see how they actually achieve it.

The simple fact of the matter is that professional football is much, much harder than we think a lot of the time and the ability to have that forward-thinking intelligence on the pitch is as vital as it is difficult.

But thanks to the fabulous work of football psychology researcher Geir Jordet, we can come one step closer to understanding the genius behind pro players by looking at the world of ‘scanning’.

Jordet produced a fascinating Twitter thread in October 2021 that documented his research into scanning, which is essentially the visual analysis that players conduct mid-game on matters other than the ball.

In other words, looking around to collect vital details such as the position of the opposition and the runs of teammates in order to plan ahead and adapt as the move progresses or if they’re given the ball.

It’s a concept that, frankly, feels alien