Motivation and the Effectiveness of Individual One-on-One Performance in Men’s Football

Understanding the motivational determinants that have the greatest impact on athletic performance is often crucial for effectively supporting athletes during both training and competition periods. Therefore, the aim of the study was to examine the relationships between different types and specific components of motivation and players’ performance effectiveness in one-on-one football competition. The study involved 91 football players representing clubs in Poland. The level of motivation was assessed using the SMS-28, while performance effectiveness was measured with a standardized one-on-one football test. Three performance indicators were analysed: offensive, defensive, and comprehensive effectiveness. The analysis showed that amotivation was significantly and negatively correlated with offensive effectiveness (r = −0.242; p < 0.05) and comprehensive effectiveness (r = −0.219; p < 0.05). No significant relationship were found with defensive effectiveness. Moreover, no significant associations were observed between intrinsic or extrinsic motivation and any of the analysed performance indicators. The findings suggest that a lack of motivation may impair offensive actions, which require greater initiative, whereas defensive effectiveness may be less dependent on motivational levels—possibly due to its more automatic nature. This underscores the importance of reducing amotivation through a supportive training environment, which may enhance engagement and improve individual performance outcomes.