It’s Going to Be a Weird World Cup
Pep Guardiola has been at the forefront of a series of tactical and conceptual breakthroughs that have transformed soccer over the past decade and a half. Modern tactics are complicated and take time to implement. The international game lags behind the club game in terms of refinement and technical evolution. Tournament success is based less on progressive attacking football than on stubborn defending. Brazil is the favorite to win the World Cup this time around. Argentina, Germany, Denmark and Serbia are also potential contenders.
An earlier version of this article incorrectly described Italy’s history of qualifying for the World Cup.
