CBS Sports is launching a brand-new football show this Monday, and it promises to change the way debates are settled. Numbers Don’t Lie, powered by Sofascore, will be hosted by Nico Cantor and bring advanced analytics to the heart of football conversations. Instead of endless arguments over who’s better, who’s more influential, or who deserves the spotlight, the show will lean on data to tell the real story.
Cantor believes this approach will make the program unlike anything fans have seen before.
“Numbers Don’t Lie is going to be unlike any show you’ve seen before. Instead of endless debate, we’ll use advanced analytics to settle arguments or at least tell certain storylines through numbers and data. We want to be objective. Everyone has their opinion, but the numbers tell a story, and we can’t ignore that.”
Settling debates or stoking the fire?
Of course, objectivity doesn’t mean the debates will end. In fact, Cantor thinks numbers could make the discussions even more heated.
“If you love Messi, you’re probably going to be Team Messi to the death. And if you love CR7, you’re going to die by the sword. The thing is, there are stats that support both sides of the debate. So while we might try to settle arguments, we could just end up stoking the fire. Stats tell a storyline, and we’ll curate them to support certain narratives — some in favor, some against. That’s the beauty of data.”
Spotlight on players
One of the players Cantor believes deserves more recognition is Lautaro Martínez.
“Lautaro Martínez doesn’t get the respect he deserves. He’s now coming up on his eighth season with Inter, and the amount of goals he has scored for the Nerazzurri is unmatched. Quietly, he’s climbing the ranks of Inter legends. If he delivers a Champions League or another Scudetto, we’ll have to consider him one of the most legendary players in the club’s history, if he isn’t already. Just look at the numbers, look at his average Sofascore rating. He’s doing incredible things, and he’s not even a consistent starter for his national team. It’s amazing to watch.”
Cantor also points to the evolving dynamic at Real Madrid with Vinícius Jr. and Kylian Mbappé.
“When you talk about the Champions League, you have to talk about Real Madrid – the perennial winners of this competition. After last year’s underwhelming campaign, there’s been a lot of criticism, especially around Vinícius Jr. and Kylian Mbappé. Can they coexist? That’s the big question. With the data we have at Sofascore, we’ll be able to track that as the Champions League unfolds and as La Liga progresses. This year will be critical to convince Florentino Pérez that the future is him alongside Mbappé.”
The billboard test
Cantor’s fascination with young stars extends to the next generation, too. Asked which player’s stats he’d put on a Times Square billboard, his answer was immediate.
“If I had to display one player’s stats on a Times Square billboard, it would be Lamine Yamal. Last season, he was doing things at his age that Messi and Ronaldo weren’t doing, and that’s the standard he set. As the goals and assists start piling up, I’d want all of Times Square to see what Lamine is achieving in comparison to the two GOATs. It’s going to be incredible to follow his evolution, and on a Times Square billboard, that would be absolutely epic.”
Beyond formations
The show will also explore the the tactical side of the game, using Sofascore’s advanced features to show what the naked eye might miss.
“In modern football, we’ve become a bit obsessed with labeling every formation. Is it a 4-3-3, a 4-2-3-1, a 5-3-2? But often it’s fluid, especially in today’s game. What I love about Sofascore is that if you scroll down on the lineups tab, past the nominal formations we’re used to, you’ll find the players’ average positions. That’s the kind of data we’ll be showing on Numbers Don’t Lie – checking in on every player, who’s the most influential, who’s the least. Some players bring an impact that the naked eye might miss, and the data makes that clear.”
Checking your own bias
For Cantor, one of the biggest challenges will be putting aside personal opinions and embracing what the numbers say.
“This is going to be really different from anything I’ve done. Everybody has an opinion – myself included. But when you tell a story through numbers, you can’t ignore them, even if they go against your own opinion. The numbers will speak loudly if trends keep showing up. As the show progresses, we’ll be able to check our opinions and our biases – because the numbers don’t lie.”
With Numbers Don’t Lie, powered by Sofascore, fans can expect more than just football talk. They’ll get stories told through data and debates fueled by facts. For Cantor, it’s about giving football fans what they deserve: the full picture, driven by numbers.