The FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG) said on Monday that while set-piece specialisation is transforming club football, it is unlikely to define the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Speaking at a FIFA media roundtable one month before the expanded 48-team tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, TSG members discussed emerging tactical trends, including Arsenal-style set-piece routines.
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The panel of experts identified limited preparation time for national teams as the major obstacle to replicating the complex systems seen in club football.
Arsenal’s set-piece success sparks tactical debate
Premier League leaders Arsenal, widely regarded as the “set-piece kings”, recently broke the record for the most goals scored from corners in a single Premier League season.
“I’d be interested to see how the other teams approach this,” said Gilberto Silva, the former Arsenal midfielder and 2002 World Cup winner with Brazil.
“We have seen this season, especially in the Premier League with Arsenal. In the last few years, corner kicks and long balls have not been used as much compared to when I played, when they were more common.
The game developed with teams building from the goalkeeper.”
However, Silva questioned whether international football would follow the same tactical direction.
“But I’m not so sure the World Cup will be the same, because you don’t have much time to prepare a team for these tournaments,” he added.
“Of course, it can be a weapon, and teams will use it, but not as the main one. I expect tight games, with a lot of practical aspects and teams looking to exploit transitions to break through.”
Heat concerns also under FIFA scrutiny
Last year’s Club World Cup in the United States, which served as a test event for the 2026 tournament, also highlighted the possible impact of extreme weather conditions.
Tom Gardner, FIFA’s Lead of Football Performance Insights, said the competition recorded physical intensity levels similar to those seen at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar despite concerns about heat.
“In general, the Club World Cup showed a very similar level of intensity in matches compared to the 2022 World Cup when we looked at some of the key games,” Gardner said.
“So I’m sure heat may be a factor in how teams manage that. But we don’t expect to see very different physical outputs from what we saw in 2022, as we did at the 2025 Club World Cup.”
