In modern football, where milliseconds and split-second decisions can define a season, elite players are increasingly turning to cutting-edge technology to push their skills further. One of the most fascinating examples of this trend comes from Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, who has been using virtual reality (VR) training tools to sharpen his cognitive performance — and now at an extraordinary level of “120% speed.”
The Background…
When Odegaard found himself sidelined with multiple injuries during the 2025/26 season, conventional physical drills weren’t an option. Instead of simply watching videos or working on fitness alone, the Norwegian playmaker embraced VR as part of his rehabilitation plan. He teamed up with a company called Be Your Best, which designs VR experiences that immerse players in simulated match scenarios designed to improve decision-making, spatial awareness, and situational scanning — all crucial for elite football performance.
During these sessions, Odegaard wears a VR headset and steps into a first-person perspective of a realistic football match. The idea isn’t physical training — it’s mental conditioning. The software tracks and challenges how often players scan their surroundings before receiving the ball, how quickly they make decisions under pressure, and how effectively they anticipate movements and passes. This type of “brain training” mimics the intense visual and cognitive demands of the real game.
The Progress Using VR…
Early in his use of the technology, Odegaard “completed” the standard VR program at the normal game speed — a feat that impressed both the company and coaches alike. But for a player of his vision and football intelligence, the normal pace quickly felt too easy. That led to a bold request: could the system be turned up, so that the virtual match moved even faster? The answer was yes — and thus a new training setting was born.
Now Odegaard trains with VR scenarios at 120% of real-game speed. That means what he perceives and reacts to in VR feels quicker than most real matches, giving him a psychological edge when he returns to the pitch. The logic is simple yet powerful: if the brain becomes accustomed to processing faster scenarios, the actual game feels slower in comparison, allowing more time to decide, pass, or shoot under real pressure.
This innovative approach appears to be paying dividends. When Odegaard recently came off the bench for Arsenal, he made a decisive contribution with an assist, hinting that his VR work may have helped him regain sharpness and anticipation quicker than traditional training alone.
Lastly…
As VR continues to grow across professional sports, players like Odegaard are proving that the future of training goes beyond the gym and the pitch — straight into immersive virtual environments where the mind can be as finely tuned as the body.
If you would like to read more about this, you can read it here:
- “Martin Odegaard using VR goggles to train with technology that lets him play at 120 per cent speed” from Arsenal Insider.
- The Official Website of Be Your Best.
Photo above by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images. For more VR related news, you can read it at our VR News Compilation section.
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