No ‘Winning Formula’: FIFA Releases 2026 World Cup Technical Report

LONDON, Oct 2 (Bernama-PA Media/dpa) -- FIFA’s technical report on the 2026 World Cup has highlighted an increased number of tactical strategies at the tournament but concluded that there was not necessarily a ‘winning formula’, reported PA Media/dpa.

The world governing body’s Technical Study Group (TSG) and Football Performance Insights Department (FPI) published a 500-page report on Friday, offering “unprecedented insights into how the best national teams and players on the planet are reshaping the modern game”.

All 104 tournament matches were observed using advanced data and video analysis, and 11 “key tactical and technical” trends were identified.

FPI lead Tom Gardner said: “The big change between 2022 and 2026 is the variety of different tactical styles that we saw, and how teams were able to execute those different strategies successfully.

“The build-up in a back three was something that we observed as very important, but it wasn’t something that Spain did.

“So we’re not here saying if you want to be a successful team, you have to build up in a back three.

“It’s about saying this is what we’ve observed. This is where we see more and more teams headed, and this is where teams have been able to do it and do it well.”

The key tactical innovations identified included building with a back three, wide player rotations, changing the point of attack, attacking transitions, a structured high press, defensive blocks and counter-pressing.

“I think for this tournament, it’s not about saying this is the one key tactical change that we’ve seen,” Gardner added.

“It’s really about highlighting the variance that we’ve seen in tactical strategy and how teams have been able to really play towards their strengths.

“Whether that’s some teams playing in an incredibly high-pressing player-for-player system, going three-versus-three at the back and being really aggressive, (or) being incredibly compact in a deep low block and being able to execute that strategy successfully. It’s the variance that has really stood out.”

The report said there were “contrasting routes to success”, adding: “From aggressive high presses to disciplined low blocks and rapid transitions, the analysis shows that there was no single winning formula.

“Cape Verde exemplified how compact defending, collective organisation and proactive goalkeeper involvement can enable teams to compete against technically superior opponents.”

The report said its Data Collection Unit was able to record “football-specific actions, interactions and phases of play that are not routinely available elsewhere in the industry”.

“This is combined with highly accurate player and ball tracking data, providing a detailed understanding of the movement and positioning of players across the pitch … to connect what happened with how and why it happened,” the report said.

FIFA’s chief of global football development, Arsène Wenger, added: “At the highest level, football is constantly evolving.

“New ideas emerge, existing principles are adapted and the solutions developed by one team can influence the game far beyond a single tournament.

“Our responsibility is therefore to identify these developments, understand their significance and share that knowledge with the global football community.”

-- BERNAMA-PA MEDIA/dpa