{"id":484551,"date":"2026-06-09T21:06:37","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T21:06:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/484551\/"},"modified":"2026-06-09T21:06:37","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T21:06:37","slug":"world-cup-analysis-a-look-at-how-the-top-5-countries-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/484551\/","title":{"rendered":"World Cup Analysis: A Look At How the Top 5 Countries Play"},"content":{"rendered":"

Soccer is like a dance, and every team competing in the FIFA World Cup 2026 will bring its own signature style and choreography to the pitch.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Team Spain employs a more direct style of play, prioritizing attackers Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal, for example. Team Portugal places a major focus on its midfielders such as Bernardo Silva.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

And nowhere are these play styles revealed more clearly than in the work of Northeastern\u2019s NetSI research group, which maps, analyzes, and visually highlights teams\u2019 passes, goals,\u00a0 interceptions and more to identify patterns and trends.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So what can the data tell us about how the countries ranked in the top five \u2014 France, Spain, Argentina, England and Portugal \u2014\u00a0 might compete in this year\u2019s World Cup?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Northeastern Global News spoke with Brennan Klein, director of the NetSI Sport Research Group, and Ashley Phillips, head coach for Northeastern University\u2019s women\u2019s soccer team, to understand how these top countries fared during previous tournaments and how that might inform their approach this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Included in each team\u2019s analysis are passing cluster maps, which show the team\u2019s five most overrepresented passing patterns, and average passing network maps, which show players\u2019 most common positions and passing directions among teammates.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

This list of the top teams is based on the FIFA\/ Coca-Cola World Cup<\/a> 2026 unofficial Men\u2019s World Ranking, according to Klein, and the data for the analysis was provided by Hudl StatsBomb, a sports analytics company.\u00a0<\/p>\n

France \u2014 The talented attackers\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"France's<\/p>\n

\"France's
\nFrance\u2019s five most distinctive passes patterns and passing network for the 2022 World Cup. Courtesy of NetSI Sport. <\/p>\n

Analyzing France\u2019s most common passing clusters for the 2022 World Cup, one thing became clear, Klein explained \u2013 the team tended to rely on attackers Kylian Mbapp\u00e9, who dominated the upper left side of the field, and Ousmane Dembele, who dominated the upper right.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"France's<\/p>\n

\"France's
\nFrance\u2019s five most distinctive passes patterns and passing network for the 2024 Euro Cup. Courtesy of NetSI Sport. <\/p>\n

During the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro Cup, the passing pattern shifted to prioritize Mbapp\u00e9\u2019s shooting abilities, Klein said, which is reflected in the 2024 passing cluster map.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

During the tournament, Mbapp\u00e9 took a total of 19 shots, and tallied one assist, and one goal, according to the data.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Going into this World Cup, Klein forecasts Mbapp\u00e9 to play a more central role as opposed to the left-hand position he has held for the last two tournaments to make room for the other players that make up the team\u2019s \u201cphenomenal attacking talent.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

That includes Dembele, who in December won FIFA\u2019s Men\u2019s Player of the Year<\/a>, and right winger Michael Olise, who had an \u201coutstanding season\u201d for the German sports club F.C. Bayern Munich.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a much stronger lineup this cycle and it\u2019s a much scarier one for teams to contend with,\u201d Klein said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Phillips added: \u201cThey\u2019re a very entertaining team to watch.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are possession-based teams that want to hold the ball the whole game, and there are teams that just want to score goals. France is very much: \u2018We want to score goals,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Spain \u2014 The young stars\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Spain's<\/p>\n

\"Spain's
\nSpain\u2019s five most distinctive passes patterns and passing network for the 2022 World Cup. Courtesy of NetSI Sport. <\/p>\n

In the 2022 World Cup, Spain employed a tiki-taka style, which involves short, consistent passes across the midfield, Klein explained, clearly represented in its 2022 passing cluster map.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the 2024 EuroCup, Spain adjusted its approach, leveraging the playing style of two of soccer\u2019s biggest rising stars \u2014 Williams, a left flank winger, and Yamal, a right flank winger, Klein noted, helping transform its passing network.\u00a0<\/p>\n

During the games, Yamal led the team in 19 chances created, which are opportunities in which he passed the ball to a teammate that led to a direct shot attempt, Klein said. He also made eight big chances, which are situations in which a player is expected to score a goal. Williams created the second-highest number of big chances during the cup at four, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Spain's<\/p>\n

\"Spain's
\nSpain\u2019s five most distinctive passes patterns and passing network for the 2024 Euro Cup. Courtesy of NetSI Sport.<\/p>\n

Spain went on to win the 2024 EuroCup with this new strategy, Klein said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Based on the data, Klein forecasts Spain to continue with this strategy and rely on Yamal even more as his status and game have improved over the past two years.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Phillips said Spain will likely employ a more traditional tiki-taka style with an updated, more direct play style.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI do think they are going to look to keep it and stretch teams on either side,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Argentina \u2014 \u201cGet the ball to Messi\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Argentina's<\/p>\n

\"Argentina's
\nArgentina\u2019s five most distinctive passes patterns and passing network for the 2022 World Cup. Courtesy of NetSI Sport.<\/p>\n

Team captain and forward Lionel Messi was key to Argentina winning the World Cup in 2022, Klein explained, with its passing cluster largely dominated by passing systems trying to get him the ball to score.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reason they were so successful in 2022 was that everything went according to plan in terms of getting Messi the ball,\u201d he said. \u201cThe whole team is built around winning the ball back and getting the ball to the midfielders who are extremely good at getting the ball to Messi.\u201d<\/p>\n

Klein forecasts the team to follow a similar strategy of relying on Messi this year, but at 38, his age may be a factor in the team\u2019s chances. Messi scored a total of seven goals during the 2022 tournament, ranking as the team\u2019s top goal scorer.<\/p>\n

\"Argentina's<\/p>\n

\"Argentina's
\nArgentina\u2019s five most distinctive passes patterns and passing network for the 2024 Copa America. Courtesy of NetSI Sport.<\/p>\n

The team also won the 2024 Copa America, South America\u2019s premier men\u2019s football tournament, using a similar strategy, but Messi was pressed a bit higher up the field, according to the data.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Phillips added that what sets Argentina apart is its adaptability, having the ability to \u201cbreak teams down into possession but also play off counterattacks,\u201d making note of Messi\u2019s role in the games with support from other attacking players, including Juli\u00e1n \u00c1lvarez.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose players have all done it before,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019ve played on the stage and they\u2019ve been successful,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

England \u2014 Direct players thrive<\/p>\n

\"England's<\/p>\n

\"England's
\nEngland\u2019s five most distinctive passes patterns and passing network for the 2022 World Cup. Courtesy of NetSI Sport.<\/p>\n

England\u2019s showing at the 2022 World Cup was \u201cconservative\u201d and risk-averse, Klein said, with the team losing to France in the quarterfinals.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As the 2022 passing network highlights, the team\u2019s biggest attacking threats \u2014 captain and striker Harry Kane and right winger Bukayo Saka \u2014 didn\u2019t receive nearly enough passes, Klein said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"England's<\/p>\n

\"England's
\nEngland\u2019s five most distinctive passes patterns and passing network for the 2024 Euro Cup. Courtesy of NetSI Sport.<\/p>\n

The team seemed to have learned its lesson by the 2024 EuroCup, by contrast, Klein said, with Saka and Kane receiving more passes this time around.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The team almost won it all, but lost to Spain in the final match of the tournament with a score of 2-1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Klein said Kane will serve a pivotal role in England\u2019s strategy with major assistance from Saka.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Both have matured in their respective roles and have improved significantly in the past few years\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kane\u2019s shot conversion percentage, or the number of shots that have been actual goals, this year is 28.7%. In the 2022 World Cup, when it was only 16%, Klein said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

England, Phillips added, \u201cis a very direct team,\u201d which will be an asset for this year\u2019s games.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Portugal \u2013 The strong midfield<\/p>\n

\"Portugal's<\/p>\n

\"Portugal's
\nPortugal\u2019s five most distinctive passes patterns and passing network for the 2024 Euro Cup. Courtesy of NetSI Sport.<\/p>\n

Portugal\u2019s biggest strength in the 2022 World Cup was its strong control of midfield and the team\u2019s ability to pass the ball out wide to more creative players, such as left back defender Raphael Guerreiro and attacking player Jo\u00e3o F\u00e9lix, Klein said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Portugal's<\/p>\n

\"Portugal's
\nPortgual\u2019s five most distinctive passes patterns and passing network for the 2024 Euro Cup. Courtesy of NetSI Sport.<\/p>\n

In 2024, the team adopted a more wing-style of play, which prioritizes play in the field\u2019s flanks, while still retaining its strong midfield, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Passes became higher and wider to superstar players such as midfield attacker Bernardo Silva and center forward striker Cristiano Ronaldo.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Phillips said she expects the team to employ a tiki-taka style of play like neighboring Spain, leveraging its strong midfield.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Klein agrees.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe key to success is to control the midfield and try and find a way to sneak the ball to Ronaldo, who is extremely good at scoring goals,\u201d Klein said the data shows.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIn previous years, you wouldn\u2019t be able to wrap your head around Portugal winning the World Cup in a way that Ronaldo wasn\u2019t a key player throughout, but this time it seems like if they get really far, it will be due to this extremely talented generation of midfielders.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Soccer is like a dance, and every team competing in the FIFA World Cup 2026 will bring its…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":484552,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[85,46,105,101640,6866],"class_list":["post-484551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-sports","tag-world-cup-2026","tag-world-cup"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484551","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=484551"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484551\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/484552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=484551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=484551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=484551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}