Norway keeps quietly making its way through this World Cup after defeating Ivory Coast in the Round of 16. In a match where both sides played to their strengths, it was the Vikings who earned the right to remain on American soil. Haaland delivered once again, Nusa showcased the full extent of his talent, while […]
Mexico marched into the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, shattering a historical 40-year knockout stage hoodoo with a commanding 2-0 victory over Ecuador at a supercharged Azteca Stadium. Javier Aguirre’s side weathered a brief pre-match lightning delay to unleash a tactical storm on their South American counterparts. A lovely 22nd-minute strike […]
Uruguay charged one of the world’s most impactful coaches with the task of taking the nation back to greater heights on the international circuit, but their plans have imploded. Another big blunder gave one of the World Cup’s top teams the advantage in a crucial clash, and an explosive ending to the encounter befittingly brought […]
After the Netherlands and Germany fell, goals from Kylian Mbappé and Bradley Barcola would ensure that France wouldn’t become the latest European giants to exit at the Round of 32. Instead, Les Bleus were at their imperious best as they comfortably dispatched Sweden and set up an encounter with Paraguay. The question is, has Deschamps’ […]
The shoe was on the other foot during the Netherlands-Morocco match. The Moroccans played a Dutch game, whereas the Netherlands adopted Morocco’s playing style from the 2022 World Cup. Verbruggen’s brilliance, Cody Gakpo’s finishing, and Issa Diop’s late header sent the game to one of the craziest shootouts in this World Cup’s long history. Tactical analysis and […]
Brazil came from behind to beat Japan with a storyline worthy of an anime episode, featuring resilience, redemption and a last-minute goal. Japanese football was directly influenced by Brazil in the early stages of its rise, while the anime Captain Tsubasa became hugely popular in Brazil. Within this interesting relationship, the two nations had not […]
Ghana and Croatia advanced to the next round of the World Cup in a game in which both teams struggled against each other’s zonal blocks. Both national teams lacked the attacking firepower and tools to test each other from open play. Nevertheless, set pieces decided the outcome of the clash. Tactical analysis and match report […]
Thomas Tuchel went with a slightly different structure in this game for England, moving away from the wing-oriented 4-3-3 shape into a 3-1-6 structure in possession. A key part of this was a freer role for Jude Bellingham, who repaid Tuchel with a goal and an assist to ensure England’s first place finish in the […]
France hadn’t won the 3rd group game of a major tournament since the 2006 World Cup, but usually, they’re the nation resting players at that point. Instead, it would be Norway who brought out the B-team as Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard were given a reprieve ahead of the Round of 32. France unsurprisingly came […]
Belgium entered the final group stage game in critical condition. By the end of it, they restored faith in their World Cup campaign through more accessible underlaps, a balance between the double pivot and output from the old guard to see them finish at the summit of Group G. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel […]