{{Short description|Croatian sports statistics and results application}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox company | name = Sofascore | logo = File:Sofascorelogo.png | logo_caption = | logo_upright = <!-- default: 1 --> | logo_alt = | type = | industry = | predecessor = <!-- or: predecessors = --> | founded = {{Start date and age|2010||}} | founders = Ivan Bešlić<br/>Zlatko Hrkać | defunct = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | fate = | successor = <!-- or: successors = --> | hq_location_city = Zagreb | hq_location_country = Croatia | area_served = <!-- or: areas_served = --> | key_people = | products = Sports statistics | owner = <!-- or: owners = --> | num_employees = | num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) --> | parent = | website = {{URL|https://sofascore.com/}} }} '''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.<ref name="Jutarnji2020"/> 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.<ref name="SofascoreCorporate"/>
==History== Sofascore was founded in 2010 by Croatian developers Ivan Bešlić and Zlatko Hrkać.<ref name="Index2020"/> 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.<ref name="Index2020"/>
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.<ref name="Index2020"/> According to a report in 2020, the application had surpassed 20 million active users.<ref name="Jutarnji2020"/>
==Application features==
The core function of the Sofascore application is to deliver real-time sports results and detailed statistical data. It covers multiple sports, including football (soccer), basketball, tennis, handball, water polo and motorsports. For many events, it provides advanced metrics such as heat maps, shot maps, and detailed possession statistics.
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.<ref name="SofascoreRatingExplainer"/>
==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.<ref name="SportsSciences2025"/>
==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name="Jutarnji2020">{{cite news |last=Pavić |first=Filip |date=15 March 2020 |title='Sve je počelo kao hobi. Sada naše statistike i rezultate prati 20 milijuna ljudi' |trans-title='It all began as a hobby, and now our statistics and results are followed by 20 million people' |url=https://novac.jutarnji.hr/novac/novi-svijet/sve-je-pocelo-kao-hobi-sada-nase-statistke-i-rezultate-prati-20-milijuna-ljudi-10093606 |language=hr |work=Jutarnji list |access-date=10 March 2023}}</ref> <ref name="SofascoreCorporate">{{Cite web |title=Sofascore – Leading Provider of Advanced Sports Insights |url=https://corporate.sofascore.com/ |access-date=18 April 2023 |website=Sofascore Corporate |language=en}}</ref> <ref name="Index2020">{{cite news |date=5 April 2020 |title=Kako je nastao SofaScore, jedna od najpopularnijih aplikacija za praćenje sporta na svijetu |trans-title=How SofaScore came to be, one of the most popular apps in the world for tracking sports |url=https://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/kako-je-nastao-sofascore-jedna-od-najpopularnijih-aplikacija-za-pracenje-sporta-na-svijetu/2165306.aspx |language=hr |work=Index.hr |access-date=10 March 2023}}</ref> <ref name="SofascoreRatingExplainer">{{Cite web |title=Sofascore statistical ratings explained |url=https://www.sofascore.com/news/sofascore-statistical-ratings-explained/ |access-date=31 July 2025 |website=Sofascore News}}</ref> <ref name="SportsSciences2025">{{cite journal |last1=Ball |first1=James |last2=Huynh |first2=Minh |last3=Varley |first3=Matthew C. |date=26 February 2025 |title=Comparing player rating systems as a metric for assessing individual performance in soccer |journal=Journal of Sports Sciences |volume=43 |issue=7 |pages=676–686 |doi=10.1080/02640414.2025.2471208 |pmid=40011215 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02640414.2025.2471208|url-access=subscription }}</ref> }}
Category:Internet properties established in 2010 Category:2010 establishments in Croatia Category:Croatian sport websites Category:iOS software Category:Android (operating system) software Category:Companies based in Zagreb