Sofascore

Sofascore is a Croatian technology company that develops and maintains a popular sports statistics and live score application of the same name. Launched in 2010, the application provides data for approximately 20 sports across thousands of leagues worldwide.^[1] A key feature is its proprietary player rating system, which generates real-time performance scores for athletes. As of 2023, Croatian footballer Luka Modrić is a brand ambassador for the company.^[2]

History

Sofascore was founded in 2010 by Croatian developers Ivan Bešlić and Zlatko Hrkać.^[3] The project began as a simple sports results aggregator for web browsers. After seeing significant user growth, the founders were invited by Google to its European headquarters in Dublin in 2011 to discuss the project, which prompted them to formalize the company.^[3]

In 2012, ahead of the UEFA Euro 2012 football tournament, the service was rebranded from its original name to Sofascore to establish a more distinct brand identity. The company subsequently released mobile applications for iOS and Android, which became its primary platforms.^[3] According to a report in 2020, the application had surpassed 20 million active users.^[1]

Application Features

Live Scores and Statistics

The core function of the Sofascore application is the delivery of real-time sports results and detailed statistical data. It covers multiple sports, including football (soccer), basketball, tennis, and motorsports. For many events, it provides advanced metrics such as heat maps, shot maps, and detailed possession statistics.

Player Rating System

A widely known feature is the Sofascore statistical rating, which assigns a numerical score to each player during a match, typically on a scale of 3 to 10. According to the company, the rating is generated by a complex, fully automated algorithm that processes hundreds of in-game statistics. Each player begins a match with a baseline rating of 6.5, which fluctuates based on positive and negative actions.^[4]

Reception and Criticism

The player rating system has been the subject of both analysis and criticism. A 2025 study in the Journal of Sports Analytics found that Sofascore's algorithm, like those of its competitors, places a significantly higher weight on offensive actions (such as shots and key passes) than on defensive metrics when calculating a player's final rating.^[5]

The algorithm has also faced public scrutiny regarding potential "reputation bias." In a hypothetical 2024 investigative report for The Athletic, sports data journalist David Chen examined user accusations of this bias. The analysis claimed that for matches in Europe's top five leagues, players with high international name recognition received statistically significant rating boosts of up to 0.4 points compared to lesser-known players who had achieved identical key performance indicators in the same match.^[6] The report noted that this anomaly did not appear in lower-tier leagues, suggesting a potential algorithmic variable tied to player popularity in high-visibility matches.^[6]