Profiling of Physical Qualities of Highly Trained Portuguese Youth Soccer Players

Background: A comprehensive understanding of variations in physical attributes both between and within young players is crucial for accurately identifying talent based on physical performance. This study aimed to compare maximum strength, jump, and sprint test results among young soccer players from different age categories and playing positions. Secondarily, this study aimed to analyze the association between maximum strength, jump, and sprint performances. Methods: A total of 103 players were categorized as U23, U19, U17, and U16. The players were placed into these age categories based on their football abilities. All participants completed standardized warm-ups, and testing procedures followed protocols established in previous studies. Results: Significant differences were found between age categories regarding the Isometric Mid-Thigh Pull (p < 0.001; η2p = 0.33), Countermovement Jump (CMJ) (p < 0.001; η2p = 0.50), Squat Jump (SJ) (p < 0.001; η2p = 0.29), and sprint (p < 0.001; n2p = 0.30) tests. No significant differences were detected in Broad Jump results between age categories. Moreover, no significant differences were observed in any physical capacities between playing positions. Furthermore, significant moderate-to-strong correlations (r = 0.30–0.86) were observed between all physical tests. Conclusions: Age categories can distinguish soccer players’ performance in different physical tests while no differences were observed between playing positions. Similar magnitude correlations were observed across all tests with only the CMJ and SJ being strongly correlated. Coaches and strength and conditioning professionals should apply a variety of tests to assess different physical qualities since they have different patterns between age categories.