48 teams, one trophy - what it really takes to win the World Cup

WE are just days away from the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States with additional games in Mexico and Canada.

Off the field, several issues remain unresolved and are courting controversy – from ticket prices and transportation to the venues to visas for fans travelling to the US.

Whilst all of that plays out in the background, many teams have already arrived near their base camps to train, adapt and acclimatise to their surroundings.

This is the biggest World Cup ever, with 104 matches and a record-breaking increase from the 64 matches played in previous tournaments, owing to the expansion of the format from 32 to 48 teams.

The potential winner must play a minimum of six games and a maximum of eight to lift the trophy.

**Peak at the right time

A team cannot afford to start the tournament with all guns blazing. Getting everything right from the first game is no easy feat.

Previous winners are rarely teams that started brilliantly; they are teams that peaked at the right time.

This is usually the trademark of sides such as Germany, France and Argentina. In fact, Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia in the group stage before going on to win it all in Qatar 2022.

Losing early forces a team to make adjustments and ensures that defeat will not be repeated in the later stages.

**Rotation is key

You have to utilise all 26 players in the squad. A manager must ensure all are involved, from training sessions to matchday itself. Injuries happen, and you cannot expect the same starting 11 to remain fit until the final.

A great manager keeps the substitutes ready both physically and mentally and always views his bench as a collection of “game-changers” rather than mere “substitutes”.

Common practice is to win the first two games and rotate the squad in the final group stage fixture.

The squad players will use this opportunity to prove their worth and keep opponents guessing heading into the knockout rounds.

**Have a set tactic - but do not be afraid to change it

No team entering this tournament will be rigidly locked into one tactic or style of play.

Perhaps the Brazilian team of yesteryear with their “samba football’”or Spanish team with their “tiki-taka” came closest, but even then, nothing was ever truly set in stone tactically.

Many teams adjust depending on the opposition and how the tournament unfolds. Other factors come into play, such as temperature and humidity.

The first couple of games are always difficult to predict, and while the group stage can be very open, things tighten up considerably in the knockout rounds.

The manager who can adapt the quickest may well be the one who leads their country to glory.

**Keep the distractions to a minimum

Distraction can kill a team. We have seen it before, from the bus incident involving the French squad and Patrice Evra to the behaviour of Wives and Girlfriends (WAGs) that attracted unwanted attention.

Do not forget the behaviour of hooligans either, because what happens off the pitch can directly affect what happens on it.

A team that remains laser-focused throughout the entire tournament will have glory firmly in their sight.

**Do not forget to practise your penalties

We, as fans, hate it, but penalty shootouts are part and parcel of tournament football. A penalty shootout is a lottery, and the odds are roughly 50-50 for each side.

Some teams include penalty practice in their training sessions; others prefer to wing it entirely.

There is no right or wrong approach, but personally, a team that practises penalties has a higher probability of winning the shootout.

A team may get away without practising in the group stage, but once in the knockout rounds, penalties should be the final item on every training session agenda.​

The list above covers just some of the factors.

There is no right or wrong formula for winning a football tournament - especially the World Cup. Yes, there are favourites, but anything can happen once the tournament gets underway.

Whatever it is, after the first week of matches, we should have a clearer picture of which teams are genuine contenders and which could be in serious trouble in progressing. Whatever happens, bring on the Cup of Life!