FIFA tournament showed a trend towards " counter-pressing " and a change in the role of goalkeepers.
The Football Performance Insights Department, analyzed all 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup to identify tactical innovations, the evolution of player roles, and new pathways to achieving the highest levels of success in the game.
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According to FIFA, counter-pressing is a double-edged strategy identified as a key trend in the competition. "Top teams routinely convert losses of possession into direct attacking opportunities," FIFA.
Goalkeepers are increasingly being involved as active participants in the build-up phase and as solutions to counter the opposition's pressure, FIFA said.
FIFA said the analysis shows that there is no single formula for victory, describing it as "different pathways to success," ranging from aggressive high pressing to disciplined low-block defending and quick transitions.
The report also explores the tournament at every stage of the game to identify nine key topics, including building attacks with a back three, rotating wingers, utilizing inside channels, moving the ball through key players, implementing high pressing, utilizing counter-pressing, defensive blocking, attacking transitions, and developing the goalkeeper's role.
"The aim is not just to describe what happened, but to understand why things happened: how teams created and controlled space, how they attacked and defended, how individual players' roles evolved, and how player and coach decisions influenced various moments in the match," said Arsène Wenger, FIFA's head of global football development.
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