Great brought an ideology to Barcelona that Guardiola and Emery refined, defining the playing style of the national team
Two countries are generating powerful, cross-border momentum in football. Spain represent the leading footballing culture, radiating their influence across the globe. Argentina possess a distinct identity that shapes the South American continent. Consequently, the World Cup is witnessing the perfect final.
The architect of Spain’s vision is Johan Cruyff. He brought the 4-3-3 formation and a specific ideology to Barcelona. A cadre of tactical purists, such as Pep Guardiola and Unai Emery, refined his approach into a philosophy that has defined the playing style of the entire league, all youth squads and the national team for nearly two decades. Its principles include ball-oriented defending, clearly defined positions and roles, a high level of organisation, and technical, combination-based football. Eleven players operate as a unit, moving like a swarm.
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Spain’s head coach, Luis de la Fuente, has internalised this guiding philosophy. He spent decades working in youth development at club and federation level, and his assistants are longtime associates. On the pitch, this style is embodied by Rodri, the world’s best player.
Spanish idealism triumphed over French individual brilliance in the semi-final. Spain’s superiority was perfectly illustrated by the goal that made it 2–0, when the full-back Pedro Porro – unmarked inside the penalty area – slotted home with the inside of his right foot.
Spain exerts influence across its continent because of its dominance. The nation has won three of the past five European Championships (2008, 2012, 2024) and is, by a wide margin, the most successful country in European club competitions this century. Spanish coaches are in high demand across top leagues, having exported their ideas throughout Europe for years. The women are world champions.
The World Cup has underscored the fact that the global style of football is largely shaped by a Spanish-dominated Europe. At present, almost all of the international elite look to the models established by Barça, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal. Wherever a coach follows this guiding principle, sporting progress ensues. This confirms an age-old maxim: the quality of the coaches determines the quality of the sport.
It is not true – as is sometimes claimed – that coaching methods have changed globally. What is happening is an alignment with the elite level. This applies to France, especially since Luis Enrique moulded PSG into the best club in Europe. Didier Deschamps has long embodied this philosophy. Although he didn’t quite make it to a third consecutive World Cup final, he is handing over a team with a promising future.
England’s squad benefits from the Premier League – the world’s strongest league – which is highly international. The team are physically imposing and battle-hardened. The leaders Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane stepped up, aiming to achieve immortality after a 60-year wait. In the semi-final, however, their opponents’ stronger sense of identity prevailed.
Thomas Tuchel moulded his squad into a cohesive unit that functioned well for much of the tournament. Yet the team lacked the biggest-name stars and failed to grow in stature from one match to the next. Ultimately, he lost faith in his lineup against Argentina. His substitutions stripped the team of stability and confidence, causing the collapse.
Success follows where, beyond a guiding philosophy, there is outstanding individual quality, as seen in Norway with Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard. Even when such talent is lacking, teams that adhere to the principles of a clear philosophy remain competitive. Canada (Jesse Marsch), the USA (Mauricio Pochettino) and Ghana (Carlos Queiroz) hired coaches with experience in Europe. This trend is extending to Brazil (Carlo Ancelotti), where the unique abundance of talent from the past has faded.
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Morocco benefit from having a large portion of their squad trained in European academies or playing in top European leagues. Geographical proximity to Andalucía is an asset, and the country is due to co-host the 2030 World Cup. Tactically, the team are no different from Europe’s elite sides. Other African teams, too, defend compactly, operate with structure out of possession and are difficult to beat. Their players and coaches look to Europe for their approach.
At this tournament six of the quarter-finalists were from Europe. From the starting lineups, 84 of 88 players were under contract with European clubs last season. The other four played in Europe before moving to a different continent after the age of 30, Lionel Messi among them. With the exception of one penalty, every goalscorer from the winning teams in the quarter-finals and semi-finals plays for a club that has reached a Champions League final in the past decade: Real Madrid, PSG, Arsenal, Liverpool, Atlético, Inter, Chelsea and Tottenham. True excellence is forged in Europe.
However, it is quite possible the world champion will come from South America for the second time in a row. Argentina also set a model: defensive, focused on physical duels and prioritising security. Football as an existential struggle, deeply rooted in the culture. With the exception of Brazil, all South American teams were managed by Argentinian coaches.
The prime example is Lionel Scaloni, who could become the first coach since the Italian Vittorio Pozzo, in 1938, to successfully defend a World Cup title. Scaloni spent 10 years as a professional in Spain, where he took his first steps as an assistant coach. He was mentored by De la Fuente, the man he will face in the final. It is a small world in football.
Philipp Lahm’s column was produced in partnership with Oliver Fritsch at the German online magazine Die Zeit.
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