GENEVA, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- FIFA published a post-tournament report of the 2026 World Cup on Friday, saying the tournament showed the trend of counter-pressing and a redefined role of the goalkeepers.
The report, compiled by FIFA's Technical Study Group and the FIFA Football Performance Insights Department, analyzed all 104 World Cup matches to find tactical innovation, evolving player roles and new pathways to success at the highest level.
According to FIFA, counter-pressing is a double-edged asset identified as one of the competition's defining trends. "The top teams regularly succeeded in turning a loss of possession into an immediate attacking opportunity," it said.
Goalkeepers are increasingly used as active participants in the build-up phase and as a solution in the quest to overcome the opposition's press, FIFA said.
FIFA said the analysis showed there is no single winning formula, describing it as "contrasting routes to success" - from aggressive high presses to disciplined low blocks and rapid transitions.
The report also explored the game across every phase of play to raise nine key topics, including building with a back three, wide-player rotations, exploiting inside channels, progression through key players, high pressing, counter-pressing, defensive blocks, attacking transitions, and the evolving role of the goalkeeper.
"The objective is not simply to describe what happened, but to understand why it happened: how teams created and controlled space, how they attacked and defended, how individual roles evolved, and how the decisions of players and coaches influenced the different moments of the game," said FIFA chief of global football development, Arsene Wenger. ■
