Does Money Buy Performance? A Football Data Story

TIJU AUGUSTINE (s4113122)

Football isn’t just a game it’s a business.

Every season, clubs invest millions into player salaries, training, and strategy. But does spending more really guarantee success?

In this data-driven story, I explored:

Let’s kick off and uncover whether money truly wins matches or if smart strategies and hidden gems make the difference.

This scatter plot examines the relationship between team salary and their final league points.
A positive trend is evident teams with higher salaries tend to earn more points.
The regression line reinforces this, but some outliers highlight inefficiencies (e.g., high-spending teams underperforming).

This chart shows average possession percentage vs final league rank.
Teams are color-coded by performance tier: Top (green), Mid (blue), Bottom (red).
Higher possession loosely correlates with better rankings, but not universally indicating possession alone isn’t enough to secure top spots.

This bubble plot compares team salaries to total goals scored.
Larger bubbles represent greater goal contributions.
While higher salaries generally associate with more goals, some mid-budget teams exhibit impressive efficiency, suggesting smart spending matters.

This interactive scatter plot compares player salary with goals scored.
Bubble size indicates assists, and color intensity represents goal count.
Most players cluster at lower salary levels with modest outputs, but standout performers offer high returns on investment.

This horizontal bar chart ranks players based on goals scored per $1M salary.
Includes annotations for total goals and salary to spotlight elite value performers.
Players like Kevin Schade and Rodrigo Muniz offer excellent returns relative to their pay.

This grouped bar chart breaks down average goals scored by possession ranges.
A clear upward trend is visible teams with greater possession tend to score more.
Reinforces the strategic benefit of ball control but also shows that possession must be effectively converted into chances.

Higher team salaries generally correlate with better league performance, but not perfectly. Outliers exist.
Possession matters: Teams with higher possession consistently scored more goals on average.
Salary ≠ Performance: Some players and teams spent big without scoring big inefficiencies exist.
Best value-for-money players show that budget talent can outperform expensive stars.
Interactive visualizations helped uncover hidden trends and communicate them clearly.
These insights could guide club managers, analysts, and scouts in making more data-driven decisions not just spending more.