Elite soccer players are smarter than you are, and the sharpest of them score more often than dimmer teammates.

Top-tier players think more clearly, quickly and flexibly than non-players, and there is a correlation between cognitive ability and the number of goals and assists a soccer player scores, Swedish researchers found.

The study, published in the journal PLoS One, says measuring cognitive skill could predict a player’s potential.

"Our data suggest that measures of executive functions with validated neuropsychological tests may establish if a player has the capacity to reach top levels in soccer," the researchers wrote.

"Thus, the present study may change the way ball-sports are viewed and analyzed and how new talents are recruited."

It is generally accepted that performing at the highest level requires as much intelligence as strength and skill.

The best footballers have an innate ability to read a play and be in the right place at the right time.

Think of it as a sixth sense. Some call it "game intelligence."