June 11 – With ticket sales lagging and global interest lukewarm, FIFA has unveiled a star-studded Technical Study Group (TSG) for its expanded Club World Cup project, set to kick off on Saturday in the United States.
The announcement, however, comes against the backdrop of scepticism over the competition’s relevance, scale, and timing in an already congested football calendar.
The TSG, led by FIFA’s chief of global football development Arsène Wenger, features familiar faces such as Esteban Cambiasso, Aliou Cissé, Tobin Heath, Jürgen Klinsmann, Roberto Martínez, Gilberto Silva and Pascal Zuberbühler. Their task will be to dissect tactical trends, analyse match data, and share findings via the FIFA Training Centre – a digital platform aimed at coaches and fans.
According to FIFA, the group’s purpose is to provide deep technical insights throughout the tournament and contribute to broader discussions around the game’s evolution. But critics may wonder: who is the audience for such analysis when the matches themselves are failing to fill stadiums?
Wenger insists the initiative is about “describing, analysing and interpreting what is happening on the pitch” in real time, rather than after the dust has settled.
“We want to strike the right balance between technical expertise and data,” he said. “The goal is to inspire coaches and fans globally.”
“We have brought together a group of experts from diverse cultures and various places in the world who have great experience and real expertise,” said Wenger.
“We want to describe, analyse and interpret what is happening on the pitch with a view to inspiring technical experts and football fans in general. We will not only be collecting more data than before, but we will also be aiming to strike the right balance between technical expertise and data. We are looking to inform people about the FIFA Club World Cup technical observations directly and during the tournament itself, not months later.”
All they need now is someone to be interested.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1749838266labto1749838266ofdlr1749838266owedi1749838266sni@g1749838266niwe.1749838266yrrah1749838266