DIDIER DESCHAMPS
“YOU CAN ALWAYS IMPROVE” ENGLISH EDITION
WWW.FIFA.COM/MAGAZINE
FEBRUARY 2019
FIFA Medical Network
Learn | Research | Prevent | Engage The FIFA Medical Network is a free online course and
Visit a single page, study individual modules or complete
global online medical network designed to help anyone learn
the entire course. There are also regular news stories, blogs,
how to diagnose and manage common football-related injuries
webinars and a chat forum where you can “learn, research,
and illnesses. The course comprises 42 modules on different
prevent and engage� in football medicine with other users.
football medicine topics, including sudden cardiac arrest,
Register now, start learning and join our international
anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears and injury prevention.
football medicine community.
No pre-existing sports medicine knowledge is required.
@FIFAMedical
LETTER FROM A FIFA LEGEND
Dear readers of FIFA 1904, I am sometimes in awe of the impact that the game has had on my
believe they could achieve anything. It was a pivotal moment in
life and where it has taken me. If I were to pick my two favourite
football and in women’s sport.
childhood football moments, I’d first choose what I imagine so many of my peers, and so many of you, have experienced and
After playing, I entered coaching following the completion of a
enjoyed, and that’s playing with my family. I spent hours in the
university degree in education. I quickly realised that football has
yard with my three brothers and I remember loving being outside,
the power to have a much greater impact on young people’s lives
competing with them and enjoying football.
than anything I could teach them in a traditional academic setting. I hope that, as a FIFA Legend, I can grow and expand the impact
My second standout memory came when I was 12 and I saw the US
of the game to deliver this experience to more youth players and
women’s national team play for the very first time. Unfortunately,
ensure everyone has access to football!
„HEAD GAMES“ / Variance Films / Everett Collection / Keystone
their games were not televised back then. I remember, as I sat in the stands with my parents, that I loved watching how hard they
I’d like to help FIFA in its work to leverage the FIFA Women’s World
played, how competitive they were and how physical the game was.
Cup and other events to encourage more football associations to
I remember Michelle Akers got a red card and then shortly after-
invest in programming for women and girls. This will make a positive
wards, the coach was sent off. It was the most intense sporting
impact not only on football, but also on communities, as football
atmosphere I had ever been a part of and I loved every second of it!
teaches young people so much more than just playing the game.
In the car on the way back to our hotel, I told my parents “I am going to play for that team one day”.
I am really looking forward to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 in France! There is nothing more exhilarating than playing (or
And I did! While simply playing in a World Cup is incredible and a
watching) our game on the world stage.
dream for any player, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 1999 on home soil was bigger than a childhood dream come true! The event and
Yours in football,
our team inspired a generation of young girls to dream big and
Cindy Parlow Cone FIFA 1904 /
1
CONTENTS
FANS 8 Emotions, passion, commitment – the world of the fan in pictures from the football hothouses of Buenos Aires and London. 16 Whether at the stadium or at home: fans use various digital channels to follow football and get closer to other fans. A closer look at “second screens”. 8 16
22 From the humble fan on the terraces to the recipient of corporate hospitality, supporters have changed down the years. 24 FIFA interviews Didier Deschamps about France’s triumph at the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ and the different players’ contributions to their victory. 31 The FIFA Fan Award pays special tribute to the fans.
24
22
COVER PICTURE
Our cover picture shows Didier Deschamps, who has won the World Cup both as a player and a manager. 2
/ FIFA 1904
Marco Di Lauro/Getty Images, Peter Kovalev/TASS/Getty Images, Hulton Archive/Getty Images, Curto de la Torre/AFP
32 You thought you knew every stadium? We take a look at six unique arenas.
FOOTBALL IN PICTURES
36
4 THE MONTHS IN PICTURES Captivating Draw for the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™ – FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018 player escorts being greeted. 36 FIRST LOVE Bobrek Coal Mine in Bytom, Poland. 47
47 A CAREER IN PANINI STICKERS Ruud Gullit 54 THEN AND NOW From Mexico City to Moscow.
Tomasz Tomaszewski/VISUM, Bongarts/Getty Images, Popperfoto/Getty Images, Andreas Rentz/Bongarts/Getty Images Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
58 PHOTO ARCHIVE Brazil welcomes the Jules Rimet Trophy.
58 56
THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL 43 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE “I am convinced that we are starting a year that will forever change the way women’s football is perceived,” says Gianni Infantino ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019™.
40 FIFA NEWS AND THE FIFA/COCA-COLA MEN’S AND WOMEN’S WORLD RANKINGS 48 NEWS FROM FIFA MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS 56 A FIFA LEGEND’S CAREER Dario Šimić 61 CARTOON Mordillo 62 INNOVATIONS The FIFA Technical Study Group’s report: a completely new approach.
54 56 64 PUBLICATION DETAILS
FIFA 1904 /
3
THE MONTH IN PICTURES
Done and dusted The Draw for the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™ attracted a global audience (Paris, 8 December 2018).
4
/ FIFA 1904
Dean Mouhtaropoulos, Getty Images FIFA 1904 /
5
THE MONTH IN PICTURES
In the thick of it FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018 player escorts are greeted with a high five from Sameh Derbali (centre). Derbali’s Espérance de Tunis side went on to lose 3-0 to local outfit Al Ain at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on 15 December 2018.
6
/ FIFA 1904
Michael Regan, Getty Images FIFA 1904 /
7
FANS
Reinaldo Coddou H.
THROUGH THICK AND THIN
8
/ FIFA 1904
Experiencing your team’s highs and lows is all part and parcel of being a fan, but what is it actually like to support a club through thick and thin? We get right to the heart of the matter, starting with portraits from two capital cities, London and Buenos Aires – hotbeds of football both. By Alan Schweingruber
FIFA 1904 /
9
It’s not always easy being a fan. Nick
In England, the view in the provinces is
Hornby, author of Fever Pitch and one of
that London clubs tend to look down their
Arsenal’s most famous supporters, writes
noses on the rest. This naturally cuts no
in the foreword to the reissue of his classic
ice with the capital-dwellers themselves,
book: “When Birmingham City scored
who are far too busy to worry about such
their 89th-minute winner, I felt all the old
matters. Besides, there is usually a derby
familiar feelings associated with Arsenal
going on somewhere, such as Arsenal v.
losing – the disbelief, the nausea, the
Tottenham – one of the oldest and most
determination never to put myself through
famous rivalries – or Millwall v. West Ham.
such a wretched experience again.” The
Anyway, football supporters are not exact-
occasion was the 2011 League Cup final,
ly known for beating around the bush. As
and the sentence perfectly sums up the
Millwall’s notorious fans are wont to
suffering endured by die-hard fans when
chant: “No one likes us, we don’t care.”
things are not going well for their team. It also illustrates how their mood can be
Enjoy the photos!
shaped entirely by the proceedings on the pitch. Of course, Hornby still goes to Arsenal games – not because he is a masochist, but because he is still a fan at heart, every week craving that all-important win, those crucial three points, or maybe simply the buzz that comes from watching your team do well. Just like thousands of other fans in London, which is home to many top clubs and players. The UK capital has 11 professional football clubs, six of which play in the cash-rich Premier League. The only equivalent city with a greater number of clubs that play at a professional level is Buenos Aires, where a staggering 67 teams ply their trade. With so many clubs, stadium-sharing would seem to be a sensible option here and there, but that would be reckoning without the blinkered passion of fans in the Argentinian capital. Waking up on team’s stadium is all part of the support-
It’s hardly the best vantage point in the ground, but something exciting must
er’s ritual, so it is hardly surprising that 60
have been happening on the pitch while this supporter was trying to beat the
of the 67 clubs in Buenos Aires have their
half-time rush. After all, this was the final match of the 2017/18 season in the
own ground – none of which is alike. In
Isthmian League Premier Division – the seventh tier of England’s football pyramid
the two most famous arenas, those of
– and Dulwich Hamlet from South London were playing host to rivals Margate
River Plate (Estadio Monumental) and
from the Kent coast. The match, which took place on 28 April, finished 1-1.
Boca Juniors (La Bombonera), there is also world-class football to be enjoyed. 10
/ FIFA 1904
Sam Mellish
matchday and anticipating going to your
Posters, bottles, TVs, a set of scales, boxes crammed with souvenirs and assorted paraphernalia: tourists and fans can wander into this converted garage in Boca, the most famous district of Buenos Aires, and maybe chance upon a rare find. The makeshift shop is bedecked in the colours of yellow and blue in honour of Boca Juniors, the club for whom a promising
Marco Di Lauro/Getty Images, Reinaldo Coddou H.
player called Diego Maradona once strutted his stuff.
Such cries seldom reach the players’ ears, but no matter: passion for the game is what counts wherever a match is played in the Argentinian capital. This snap was taken in 2009 before a derby match between Atlético Vélez Sarsfield and Huracán.
FIFA 1904 /
11
FA Cup ties are always a bit special given their one-off nature, and the names of the two teams drawn against each other are often sewn into scarves for sale, as shown here on 7 January 2018. The meeting between London clubs Tottenham Hotspur and
Robin Pope
AFC Wimbledon in that year’s third round ended up 3-0 in the Lilywhites’ favour.
12
/ FIFA 1904
The Clásico de Avellaneda is one of the most famous derbies in Buenos Aires, as both clubs involved (Club Atlético Independiente and Racing Club de Avellaneda) have long been among the top teams in Argentina. Their rivalry is particularly fierce, as the two stadiums are a mere 300 metres apart.
Even in the football-mad Argentinian capital, the game has to take a rest at some point. That time is generally in May, during the autumn, when the identity of the Primera División’s champions has already been Reinaldo Coddou H., Not Released (NR)
known for some weeks. An opportunity, then, to take some pictures in the streets of the colourful Boca district: taking a break from football clearly never enters the minds of the youngsters there.
FIFA 1904 /
13
This photo, taken on 9 February 2016, is one of the last shots of West Ham’s legendary Upton Park ground. Some home fans can be glimpsed through the panes of the Bobby Moore Stand during the FA Cup fourth round replay against Liverpool, which the Hammers won 2-1 to secure their passage to the next round. The stadium was pulled down later that year.
This stand, which holds just 150 spectators, is located in the grounds of Argentinian club Victoriano Arenas, whose fans had cause for celebration on many occasions last season: the Greater Buenos Aires team gained promotion to the Primera C Metropolitana, the fourth tier of Argentina’s football league.
Marco Di Lauro/Getty Images, Reinaldo Coddou H.
FIFA 1904 /
15
iStock (1) / Illustration Fehlbaum
FANS
16
/ FIFA 1904
The modern fan uses every digital avenue to follow his or her team. Kitted out with a smartphone, video projector, computer and games console, the stay-at-home supporter hardly misses anything on matchdays – in fact, quite the opposite. By Perikles Monioudis
ALWAYS CLOSE TO THE ACTION Those who cannot afford a ticket to the stadium or live far away
All the more so as TV consumption of football continues to decline,
from their favourite team don’t have to miss out on anything in
while platforms such as Twitter and Facebook successfully compete
the digital age, apart from the actual “live” experience. In fact,
for broadcasting rights in sports, as with American football’s NFL.
social platforms now offer a plethora of photos, videos, pictures and information that fans in the stadium simply would not have
Yet conversely, this is actually leading to change on the other side:
time for.
with the direct encouragement of the fans, the pros, clubs and associations are also going digital. They are addressing the fans
It is true to say that we can now speak of a new kind of fan, one
directly: the gap between fans and teams has long been bridged
who doesn’t so much rely on television reporting on matchday,
digitally and information no longer flows in one direction towards
but instead often engages with football in the same place they
the fan, but is mutual, and shared between all interested parties.
also listen to music or play games: in cyberspace. This space not only blurs reality and virtuality, it also extends across the globe,
As a recent study has suggested, in the UK, fans aged between 16
blending the local, regional and international aspects of football.
and 24 still mostly talk about football face to face (89% of re
iStock (1) / Illustration Fehlbaum
spondents), but they also actively exchange views on private social
DIGITAL FOOTBALL
platforms such as WhatsApp (54%). They post something about
The upshot of this is a new role for fans, who are no longer just
football on the latter media several times a day (8%), once a day
passive viewers of a game or a team. On the contrary, with their
(10%), once a week (25%) or once a month (15%). In other words,
contributions on social networks and platforms, they are now
one in four fans in this age group posts about football once a
actively involved in what they perceive to constitute football. In this
week on private social platforms.
world, the single TV or radio commentator for a game also dis appears – replaced by the voices of many thousands of fans who
VIRTUAL FOOTBALL
interpret events on and off the pitch. They are multicultural, diverse
Posts include memes, GIFs, videos and commentaries – including
and, in a manner of speaking, authentic – unfiltered, in any case.
during the game. The “second screen” phenomenon, whereby FIFA 1904 /
17
fans watch the game at home on TV while using a second screen (e.g. a tablet) for replays or constantly updated match statistics, is highly popular. More than two thirds of UK fans aged 25 or under follow their team this way. The transition to the virtual game, to football gaming, is thus a small step for many young people – if it’s a step at all. Thus in the UK, three out of four 16-to-19-year-olds enjoy the game on their consoles, while only two out of three actually play football. As a result, a broad-based scene in which the contents of virtual games are posted has long since developed on digital platforms. A virtual Ronaldo scores a virtual dream goal in a virtual game, and in the digital age, this virtual achievement can potentially reach as many people as Ronaldo’s real-life dream goals. It is not uncommon for professional footballers themselves to devote their free time to the virtual game. They follow their virtual market value, the value attached to them by game designers as a track record and considered by gamers around the world as authoritative. It sometimes happens that professional players are dissatisfied with the playing strengths assigned to their virtual namesakes and take to social media to express their displeasure. The modern fan can be close to his or her team thanks to the diverse digital and interactive options. What is more, these fans are a vital part of what football means today, and it is safe to say that they will become even more important in a whole range of
iStock (1) / Illustration Fehlbaum
different ways going forward.
FIFA 1904 /
19
SNAPSHOT
20
/ FIFA 1904
Monument to victory When World Cup-winning coach Didier Deschamps (centre) and his squad walked onto the training pitch at Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines in France, they were greeted by a giant replica of the World Cup trophy and two huge gold stars in recognition of Les Bleus’ achievement in Russia (12 November 2018).
Franck Fife/AFP
FIFA 1904 /
21
FANS
ALL CHANGE IN THE STADIUMS From the humble fan on the terraces to the recipient of corporate hospitality, supporters have changed in line with the game and its stadium standards down the years. By Perikles Monioudis
You’ve probably seen them on the old newsreels – soberly clad spectators enthusiastically watching the action from the terraces, the men wearing stiff hats, smoking cigarettes or pipes and holding aloft umbrellas or shading their eyes from the sun with folded newspapers, and the boys shaking their rattles. Yes, attending a football match in days of yore was a leisure pursuit principally for males.
GOODBYE TO THE TERRACES The first notable innovation introduced by fans was bringing a transistor radio to games in order to find out as much as possible about the match they were watching, as well as keep tabs on the scores in other games being played around the country. Half-time refreshments might have consisted of a sandwich or piece of fruit brought from home: occasionally, a hip flask would be passed around. It certainly bears no comparison with the matchday experience in stadiums today, when you might miss the start of the second half because you had to queue
22
/ FIFA 1904
Joy among gentlemen The 1954 World Cup semi-final between West Germany and Austria thrilled those fortunate enough to be in the crowd at the St. Jakob Stadium in Basel, Switzerland.
Up close and personal These Socceroos fans weren’t about to miss their chance for a picture with their hero, Tim Cahill, at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
separately for a snack and a beer. Still, at least modern fans have their own seat to go back to: the older ones will probably not lament the passing of the days when they risked losing their standing position by taking a break.
MORE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION The transistor radio gave way to the smartphone long ago, of course, but a more significant development has been the rise in awareness of diversity and inclusion. For some time now, stadiums have been accessible to all, including disabled people and – at least in the vast majority of countries – women and girls, a trend that has gone hand in hand with the growing popularity of the women’s game. Parents can often be seen sitting with their kids in the family section of the ground, and some stadiums have a crèche for tiny ones. Thankfully, safety has also improved considerably in the wake of tragedies such as those in the Hillsborough and Heysel stadiums, where fans were trampled or crushed to death. A positive development, for sure, and all part of the general drive to make football an all-inclusive sport that can be enjoyed to the fullest – by everyone
iStock (2) / Montage Fehlbaum
who loves the game.
FIFA 1904 /
23
24
/ FIFA 1904
David Ramos / FIFA via Getty Images
Final preparations Didier Deschamps fine-tunes his plans as he waits for the press conference before the World Cup final (Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, 14 July 2018).
“IT’S NOT ABOUT JUST PICKING THE BEST 23 PLAYERS” Russia 2018 proved to be Didier Deschamps’ finest hour in his coaching career so far as he returned home with the World Cup trophy. In this interview with FIFA 1904, the Frenchman explains how he plotted his young team’s path to glory as well as the role of certain players in their success.
You also won the World Cup as a player in 1998. Speaking honestly, what are the differences between the top-level players in the modern game and the players from your generation? The players of today’s generation don’t have the exact same personal ities, the same characters or the same interests as we did during my playing days, but they are at a very high level. I had a very young team at the World Cup, but they had an enormous amount of quality. This generation is very carefree, very generous and very enthusiastic. But the
role of a coach is to forge a group because you are holed up together for a long time, 24 hours a day. Altogether, we spent 51 days together so, obviously, as well as the football side of it all, there is also the human angle with players who need to be able to live together and work towards a common objective. The group always has to come first, and my first major decision came when I had to name my final squad of 23. In all honesty, naming a squad of 23 players for a major compe tition, whether it’s for a World Cup or a European Championship, is not about just picking the 23 best players. It’s about forging the best possible group to go as far as possible in the tournament.
How would you describe the football that we saw at the World Cup in Russia? Didier Deschamps: First of all, the vast majority, if not all of the teams, were very well organised at the back, which obviously led to very difficult and tight matches. At previous World Cups, the biggest teams had the luxury of growing into the tournament. That was not really the case in Russia – you had to be ready straight away, right from the start of the group stage. Every single team was extremely well prepared physically as well. Of course, that will not win you football matches – that will always come down to creativity and individual talent – but these days, players are increasingly able to put the effort in time and time again, which led to very intense matches played at a high tempo, a lot of one-on-one duels, and therefore little space. Players had to be faster and even more technically sound.
Naming Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez as your first-choice full-backs, even though they had little experience at this level, was regarded by many to be a major risk. Why did you make that decision? For two reasons: first of all, because I picked them, and secondly because they were better than the other two. They both definitely have a different profile to the usual full-back in the modern game. Unfortunately, when some people analyse a full-back’s game, they look far too much at his attacking play, but when you are building a team, a full-back is first and foremost a defender. And these two – Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez – are different as they are both centre-halves by trade. They are both perfectly capable of playing as full-backs, as they did at FIFA 1904 /
25
youth level, and they are both excellent defenders, both on the ground and in the air. They are both extremely fit players, as you saw during the tournament. Both of them were decisive. Thanks to them, we had an even more solid and stronger defence. How important is N’Golo Kanté in terms of providing balance in defence or attack? In South America, they call it “the number 5”, even though in Europe it is usually a centre-half who wears the number 5 shirt. But this position is more of a defensive midfielder role. At its origins, it’s not purely a defensive position, but this player sits in front of the centre-backs and also leads the transition from defence to attack. So N’Golo Kanté obviously had a vital role to play, not just in terms of protecting the defence, something he does very, very well by reading the game to break up the opposition play, but also by using the ball well to get us on the front foot. It’s a role that doesn’t get the credit it most certainly deserves. It’s often like that in football. The more creative players – the attackers, of course – steal the headlines, but any coach will tell you that it is this player who is often the first name on the team sheet. He is a key figure because he is at the heart of the game and is the link between attack and defence.
And did you work on anything specific with Paul Pogba, who shone in Russia? Some people have an image of Paul that is far removed from reality. From the very first moment he joined the squad back in 2013, Paul has always put the team first, even though he can give you the impression that he is focused on himself, which isn’t true at all. Paul also played in the 2014 World Cup and at EURO 2016. He’s now 25 26
/ FIFA 1904
Double success Deschamps lifts the World Cup. Left, in 1998 as captain of France (Saint-Denis, 12 July 1998), right, as manager of Les Bleus in Moscow on 15 July 2018.
Patrick Hertzog / AFP
Another unsung hero who had a key role – even though he didn’t score a single goal in Russia – was Olivier Giroud. How would you explain his contribution to Les Bleus? When you play with one centre forward, you need to have players with different profiles in your squad, and Olivier is more of a target man. You can’t expect him to bring the ball down and beat two or three players; that’s not why he is on the pitch. And often, very often, you only realise just how important he is when he’s not there on the pitch. He may not have scored any goals, but he had his fair share of assists and he was heavily involved in the latter stages of our build-up play. He is a player who works defences very hard, and he was also important in terms of our defensive work. He is excellent in the air and as a target man up front, but he is also vital for us when we are defending. He is a real team player, he never stops working and when we lose the ball, he acts as the first line of defence. He really puts the effort in – everyone does, but some less than others – and that is why he is so important. He was very important in our team’s organisation and set-up.
Franck Fife / AFP
and in his prime, so he sets an example for the younger players and is also one of the most experienced members of the squad. He has taken on the role of a leader off the pitch, and he has often had things to say, quite rightly so. If you do speak up and your attitude doesn’t match your words, you won’t be taken seriously. But you can’t say that about Paul. By sitting down and talking to him, I was able to take a huge weight off his shoulders – his relationship with the media. I believe that he has sometimes been unfairly criticised and as soon as he felt that flak, those attacks, he wanted nothing more to do with the media. He had to repair that relationship because it’s part of his job. The media will always have the right to criticise, to be tough on you. You have to accept that, even though it may hurt. Repairing that relationship made him cooler and calmer, which then helped him to obtain respect and recognition for how he is on the pitch. But that’s because he made the first move. He led the group towards its goal. What kind of influence can players have when you are preparing for a big match? For example, if you are gearing up to face a particular player, such as Lionel Messi for example, do you speak about him with all of your players or just with the players who will have the most to do with him, or do you do nothing so as to avoid worrying them? We have a lot of little chats. Obviously I, as the coach, make the decisions, but before I make those decisions, I have to speak to my players first. I won’t be able to convince or force a player to do something if he doesn’t agree with me. At the World Cup, I did something that admittedly wasn’t very instructive for everyone – I had a squad of 23 players, so of course all 23 players were involved – but my coaching team and I held a smaller meeting with the 11 starting players on the eve of the match so that we could talk about various situations. Again, it may go against the coaching manuals – and of course, on the day of the match, everyone knew what they had to do – but as only the 11 starting players were in that meeting, there was a little less wasted time and a little more concentration. Also, we often had some very interesting discussions and they asked me questions about the opposition, their positioning on the pitch, and that was something I greatly appreciated and something that was important and enriching. We certainly didn’t win any matches in those meetings but they helped to give the players the answers before they even stepped out onto the pitch. It goes without saying that the coach has an important role to play, but you are nothing without your players. The pitch belongs to them and they need to decide what they have to do. Of course, you have to do drills and work on the training pitch, but it’s good to talk. As a player, I was also able to get involved in such discussions. If the coach has all of the information to hand, he can make decisions and players have to adapt, but it is also vital that a coach is able to adapt as well. You FIFA 1904 /
27
have to adapt to the players, and I for one don’t believe that you can force or convince a player to do something if he or his team-mates don’t agree. When you were getting ready for the final against Croatia, what were the Croatian strengths that you wanted to counter? There were many of them. Croatia are so strong in the centre of the pitch with two excellent players: Luka Modrić and Ivan Rakitić. They aren’t just creative but also intelligent. They will leave their position in midfield to cut off an angle for a pass, or to prevent an opponent being able to pick out a pass, especially in the middle of the pitch, and they also link up very well with Mario Mandžukić, who flicks on towards the wingers who will already be on the move. They had done all of that in their other matches, so we were aware and keen to take steps to nullify that threat. That’s the defensive side of the game, but to win football matches you have to score goals. Croatia had more possession than us but that wasn’t a case of us just saying: “OK, you can have the ball”. It’s about how you match up. There is always a discussion about teams who have more possession and teams that don’t. In reality, we realised possession doesn’t always equate to efficiency. If a team has more possession than its opponent, and if they are efficient and if they score more goals, all is well. But sometimes you have the ball less, and that was indeed the case for us in certain matches, but that didn’t stop us from being more dangerous and more clinical. Italy, Spain and Germany have all recently been knocked out of the World Cup at the end of the group stage just four years after winning the title. Does that concern you at all ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar? As soon as we got back to the dressing room after the final, I said to my players: “As of this evening, you are no longer the same because you are now world champions”. They won’t change, but the way people look at them certainly will. But amid that euphoria, the need to sit down and analyse can get forgotten. People tend to think that it’s easy once you have done it, that you’ll be able to do it again, but the opposition will also analyse what they did well and not so well, and it’s very difficult to maintain that level of performance. The objective is to stay at that level and even to push on because you can always improve something while continuing to do what you did well, but that doesn’t just apply to us because others will also make progress by building on their strengths. But taking stock and learning from what you did is just as important – if not even more important – after experiencing success. Interview conducted by Fabrice Jouhaud
28
/ FIFA 1904
Catherine Ivill / Getty Images
Gratitude Deschamps and Kylian MbappĂŠ know what they mean to each other (Kazan Arena, 30 June 2018).
Peruvian passion 40,000 boisterous Peru supporters followed their team in Russia – and were rewarded with the FIFA Fan Award for their efforts.
30
/ FIFA 1904
FANS
ULTIMATE FANS
The FIFA Fan Award is about to enter its fourth year. What would football be without its genuine supporters? By Perikles Monioudis There is no shortage of awards these
Hillsborough disaster. This moving ges-
Some 40,000 fans made the 14,000-
days for teams, individual players and
ture put sporting rivalry aside for a few
kilometre journey from Peru to the land
coaches who gain plaudits thanks to their
minutes.
of the 2018 hosts and provided colourful
titles and trophies, but for the fans – who
and boisterous support. With their pas-
are the lifeblood of the game – recogni-
The 2017 award was won by fans of
sion and commitment, they lit up the
tion is rather thin on the ground. Thank-
Celtic, whose final home game of the
tournament and were an inspiration to
fully, FIFA attempted to put this right in
season fell on the 50 th anniversary of
lovers of football all over the world.
2016 by creating its Fan Award, the recip-
their triumph in 1967, when they became
ients of which are chosen every year by
the first British club to win the European
Who will win the 2019 FIFA Fan Award?
the fans themselves on FIFA.com.
Cup. Celtic fans honoured their team,
That’s up to the fans themselves.
who were known as the Lisbon Lions as
BUILDING BRIDGES
the final took place in Portugal’s capital,
The first FIFA Fan Award in 2016 went
with a 360-degree tifo display around
to the supporters of Borussia Dortmund
Celtic Park.
and Liverpool, who together memorably You’ll Never Walk Alone, a song that
PERUVIANS TRAVEL EN MASSE TO RUSSIA
was first sung by supporters of The Reds
When you’ve been waiting for a certain
at home games back in 1963 and has
event to happen for the best part of four
since travelled around the world, tran-
decades, you have to seize the opportu-
scending language barriers. Fans of the
nity when it comes along – which is
German club have also adopted the
precisely what Peru fans did when their
anthem, and when the two sides met
team qualified for a FIFA World Cup™
for a UEFA Europa League tie at Anfield
after a 36-year absence. They did so in
in April 2016, they joined Liverpool
style too, travelling to Russia in their
supporters to give a wholehearted rendi-
droves and criss-crossing the vast country
tion of the tune in a show of solidarity to
to support La Blanquirroja wherever they
commemorate the 27th anniversary of the
played.
Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters
belted out the latter’s unofficial anthem
FIFA 1904 /
31
FANS
STUNNING VIEWS For many fans, the weekend is all about a trip to the match. It’s not always about famous, high-tech arenas though. We have picked out six unique venues that maybe aren’t quite so well known.
Envato (1)
By Alan Schweingruber
32
/ FIFA 1904
ESTADIO HERNANDO SILES (BOLIVIA) The Bolivian national stadium, surrounded by tower blocks in the centre of La Paz, is one of the highest in the world, standing at around 3,600m above sea level. It currently has a capacity of more than 41,000. At this altitude, it is hard to breathe without a period of acclimatisation, which goes a long way towards explaining why teams such as Brazil, Chile and Argentina have all succumbed to defeat in important matches here. In 1963, Bolivia won the Campeonato Sudamericano (now the Copa América) on home soil. Thirty-four years later they hosted it
Filippo Manaresi, Alex Livesey/Getty Images
again... and finished as runners-up.
ESTÁDIO MUNICIPAL DE BRAGA (PORTUGAL) There are very few people in Portugal who have never heard of Sporting Braga’s stadium, which was carved out of the Monte Castro quarry high above the city. There are only two steep stands, one on each side of the pitch, which are connected and supported by 80 steel cables. A scoreboard hangs on the face of the rocks behind one of the goals, and there is a spectacular view over Braga behind the other. The stadium, which hosted matches during EURO 2004, was the brainchild of architect Eduardo Souto de Moura and has a capacity of more than 30,000.
FIFA 1904 /
33
MMABATHO STADIUM (SOUTH AFRICA) This stadium in Mafikeng is undoubtedly one of the world’s most unique stadiums, not least due to the eye-catching layout of its stands. The stadium holds almost 60,000 fans, some of whom no doubt make their way home with rather sore necks after watching a match from some unusual angles. Built in 1981, the stadium is now primarily used as a training ground by local university teams.
KAOHSIUNG NATIONAL STADIUM (CHINESE TAIPEI) Whenever Japanese architect Toyo Ito’s ideas become reality, the result is always interesting to say the least. Building work on this snake-shaped stadium, which began in 2006, took three years to complete. It’s not just the design that makes this stadium that hosted the World Games in 2009 special, however, but also the ecological principles behind it: the roof holds almost 9,000 solar panels, providing Any extra power is then sold on to the state-owned electricity company. Even the raw materials used to build the stadium are recyclable. The stadium has a capacity of over 40,000 and is currently home to Taiwan Power Company FC. 34
/ FIFA 1904
Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
enough energy to run the entire arena.
STADION KANTRIDA (CROATIA) Even though this small stadium dates back to 1912 and HNK Rijeka have had to look for a new home ground, special mention must go to this breathtakingly stunning arena. Sitting proudly above the harbour town of Rijeka, the stadium has slipped out of the public eye recently as it has not hosted a single game in the past three years. There is no denying the beauty of its clifftop location, however, as it affords incredible views out over the Adriatic. When it was in use, the stadium had a capacity of slightly more than 10,000 – but happily, there are plans to build a brand-new stadium in exactly the same
Matthew Lewis/Getty Images, Fashion Industries/Alamy
spot.
THE FLOAT @ MARINA BAY (SINGAPORE) With space for a new stadium in Singapore not exactly easy to come by, a floating pitch was simply placed in the bay itself. This facility has been used not only for football matches but also for other sporting events and national celebrations. A 30m-high fence around the pitch also helps to ensure that wayward balls don’t make a splash landing in the surrounding water. The stand – on dry land – has space for some 30,000 people, and tickets for the Singapore Grand Prix are always in great demand.
FIFA 1904 /
35
36
/ FIFA 1904
FIRST LOVE PLACE Bobrek Coal Mine in Bytom, Poland DATE 19 February 2015 TIME 14:32 PHOTOGRAPHER Tomasz Tomaszewski
VISUM FIFA 1904 /
37
Wanda. Creating unique experiences to inspire future generations of football fans and players in China and all over the world.
www.wanda-group.com
PRESIDENT´S MESSAGE
THE LEVEL OF WOMEN’S FOOTBALL IS INCREDIBLY HIGH I have been working in football for over two
Future document is to double, to 60 million,
For all the plans for the future, may this be
decades now, and ever since the beginning,
the number of female football players by
the time when everyone praises the FIFA
I have often heard variations of the same
2026. Or that we established a dedicated
Women’s World Cup France 2019™ for what
statement: “The future of the game lies in
Women’s Football Division, which drafted
it already is: the year’s biggest and most
women’s football”. While I certainly do not
FIFA’s first comprehensive strategy to
fascinating football competition. Period.
question the sincerity of anyone who says
develop the women’s game.
this, I reckon it is about time we viewed the matter in a different light.
My point here is that, although the future clearly promises much in terms of growth
Because it seems to me that spending so
and success, women’s football is the game
many years predicting the same future might
of the present — and I cannot think of a
be an indication that we have a persistent
better moment to showcase this than now,
problem now, in the present. It is a problem
in 2019. I challenge anyone to watch any of
of perception: so many people have grown
the 52 matches at this year’s FIFA Women’s
so used to treating women’s football as an
World Cup™ and come to a different
ever-evolving supporting act that they may
conclusion.
well be missing out on the main attraction.
Michael Regan / FIFA via Getty Images
I am convinced that we are starting a year Mind you, I am not being naive when I say
that will forever change the way women’s
that: it is obvious that there is massive room
football is perceived. The eyes of football
for development and improvement in
fans from around the world will be on
women’s football and that there is a huge
France in a few months’ time and I am quite
gap to be covered in comparison with the
sure that, for those who are not familiar
men’s game. As the FIFA President, I know
with the women’s game, the reaction will
this very well. I must know. It was not for
be of collective awe at how far it has
any other reason that one of the key goals
already come, at how incredibly high its
presented in our FIFA 2.0: The Vision for the
level already is.
Yours in football,
Gianni Infantino, FIFA President FIFA 1904 /
39
FIFA NEWS
INFANTINO AT G20 SUMMIT FIFA Football for Schools Programme and mentioned several
President Gianni Infantino presented football to the world’s
examples from the countries present where the sport is already
most powerful leaders as a force for good that has the potential
helping to achieve these objectives, such as the use of football
to help them address some of the challenges faced in modern
to teach life skills in schools across the world, integration of
society. On this note, he highlighted that “there are at least five
migrants through football projects and football clinics that
areas where football can convey a message of hope and be
address violence against women. “Football can bring us
used as a powerful tool: economic growth, which includes
together and make the world a more prosperous, educated,
infrastructural development, education, health, gender equality
equal and perhaps even peaceful place. These are also the
and integration, particularly for immigrants and refugees.”
priorities of world leaders, and FIFA is honoured to be a credible
During his address, the FIFA President also presented the
and reliable partner for them,” he added.
Li Ming / imago
During a speech at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, FIFA
40
/ FIFA 1904
SPAIN JOIN U-17 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP ROYALTY Spain were crowned FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup champions for the first time in their history with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Mexico in the final. New Zealand wrapped up their historic performance at Uruguay 2018 by finishing with the bronze medal after a 2-1 win over Canada in the match for third place. “It’s indescribable. I can’t begin to tell you what it feels like because it hasn’t sunk in yet. This is a special, absolutely one-of-a-kind moment and we know what it means for girls all over the world and for Spanish women’s football. It’s massive,” said Spain coach Toña Is after the victory.
GLOBAL STRATEGY FOR WOMEN’S FOOTBALL FIFA has launched its first-ever global strategy for women’s
Speaking about the strategy’s launch, Secretary General Fatma
football, which charts the course for how FIFA will work with
Samoura said: “As FIFA’s first female Secretary General, I am
confederations and member associations (MAs), clubs and
proud to launch our first-ever global strategy for women’s
players, the media, fans and other stakeholders to realise the full
football. The women’s game is a top priority for FIFA and via our
potential that exists within the women’s game. FIFA strongly
new strategy, we will work hand-in-hand with our 211 member
believes that women’s football brings one very important
associations around the world to increase grassroots participa-
benefit to the many young girls and women involved in the
tion, enhance the commercial value of the women’s game and
game – empowerment. Encouraging empowerment through
strengthen the structures surrounding women’s football to
football, growing the game, getting more girls involved at an
ensure that everything we do is sustainable and has strong
earlier stage and keeping women in football longer are all key
results. Most importantly, it will make football more accessible
elements of FIFA’s Women’s Football Strategy.
to girls and women and encourage female empowerment, a subject of great importance, now more than ever before.”
Maddie Meyer / FIFA via Getty Images
YOUTH OLYMPIC FUTSAL TOURNAMENTS The Women’s Youth Olympic Futsal Tournament Buenos Aires
Brazil picked up the gold medal in the Men’s Youth Olympic
2018 was a landmark competition for two reasons, as the
Futsal Tournament. Beaten finalists Russia also enjoyed an
discipline made its Olympic debut and FIFA organised its first
eye-catching campaign, boasting superb team organisation and
women’s futsal competition. That context made Portugal’s run
a genuine physical presence. Meanwhile, Egypt surprised many
to gold a historic one, as were the silver and bronze medals
by taking a well-deserved bronze medal.
collected by Japan and Spain respectively. Together with Bolivia and Thailand, the three medallists were a cut above the other five teams in the competition. FIFA 1904 /
41
FIFA NEWS
UN SPORTS FOR CLIMATE ACTION FRAMEWORK The UN Climate Change Secretariat launched the new Sports for
for Climate Action Framework, and I am pleased to confirm that
Climate Action Framework, which was developed with the
FIFA will support the vision outlined in the new framework,”
sports sector. The aim of the new framework is to gather sports
said FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura.
organisations, teams, athletes and fans in a concerted effort to raise awareness and spark action to meet the goals of the Paris
FIFA had previously joined the UN Climate Change Secretariat’s
Agreement on climate change.
Climate Neutral Now initiative in 2016, becoming the first international sports organisation to do so. By joining that
“Our commitment to protecting our climate remains unwavering.
campaign, FIFA had pledged to continue to strive to become
We recognise the critical need for everyone to help implement
greenhouse gas emission-neutral by the mid-21st century, and
the Paris Agreement and accelerate the change needed to reach
committed to measuring, reducing and offsetting all of its own
greenhouse gas emission neutrality in the second half of the
greenhouse gas emissions at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™.
21st century. FIFA welcomes the UN’s development of the Sports
FIFA COUNCIL TAKES KEY DECISIONS
MATCH OFFICIALS APPOINTED FOR FRANCE 2019
The eighth meeting of the FIFA Council was held in Kigali,
The FIFA Referees Committee has selected 27 referees and
Rwanda, where the members of FIFA’s strategic and decision-
48 assistant referees, representing 42 different countries, for
making body discussed a number of pivotal aspects regarding
the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™. The journey to
the future of FIFA competitions. In order to continue and
the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019™ began for an initial group
strengthen the consultation process concerning the possibility
of female referees and assistant referees from all over the world
of establishing an overhauled FIFA Club World Cup, as well as
in September 2015, when FIFA officially started its Road to
a worldwide Nations League, the FIFA Council agreed to set
France 2019 women’s refereeing project. As part of this project,
up a task force. This task force will operate under the direction
preparatory seminars have taken place over the last three years
of the Bureau of the Council, which consists of the FIFA
for referees and assistant referees, focusing on protecting
President and the confederation presidents, and will present
players and the image of the game, as well as on consistency in
its proposals at the next FIFA Council meeting, scheduled to
interpreting the Laws of the Game. Technical expertise, football
take place in Miami from 14 to 15 March 2019.
understanding, fitness and the ability to read the game and teams’ tactical approaches to each match have been the main
The packed agenda for the gathering in Kigali included decisions
topics covered at these seminars.
related to FIFA tournaments scheduled for the upcoming years, chief among them a 100% increase in prize money for the FIFA
The FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 will be played from
Women’s World Cup France 2019™, as well as the approval of
7 June to 7 July in Grenoble, Le Havre, Lyon, Montpellier, Nice,
the regulations for an invigorated FIFA Forward Development
Paris, Reims, Rennes and Valenciennes. The final will take place
Programme over the course of the 2019-2022 cycle.
in Lyon on Sunday, 7 July 2019. The complete list of match officials is available here: https://bit.ly/2Ca4u1p
42
/ FIFA 1904
Matthias Kern / Getty Images
Vastly experienced German referee Bibiana Steinhaus is one of the officials appointed for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019™.
FIFA 1904 /
43
Best First Class Airline Lounge Thank you to everyone who voted our Al Safwa First lounge as the Best First Class Airline Lounge at the 2018 Skytrax World Airline Awards. We will continue to redefine your expectations with new levels of innovation, comfort and service to provide you with the most luxurious lounge experience ever imagined. qatarairways.com *Skytrax is acknowledged as a global independent aviation industry monitor. Results of the 2018 World Airline Awards are derived from more than 20 million passenger surveys involving passengers from around the world.
FIFA/COCA-COLA WOMEN´S WORLD RANKING
Rank Team
+ / – Points
Rank Team
+ / – Points
Rank Team
+ / – Points
Rank Team
+ / – Points
1 USA
0
2123
55 Slovenia
-1
1424
109 Cook Islands
1159
Cyprus **
1120
2 Germany
0
2057
56 Belarus
-3
1423
110 Solomon Islands
-5
1153
Armenia **
1104
3 France
1
2046
57 Venezuela
-3
1421
111 Georgia
-5
1138
Guinea **
1077
4 England
-1
2021
58 Trinidad and Tobago
-6
1414
112 Luxembourg
-3
1136
Eritrea **
1060
5 Canada
0
2006
59 Turkey
1
1410
113 Samoa
1130
Gabon **
1052
6 Australia
0
1999
60 IR Iran
-2
1408
114 Zambia
1119
Sri Lanka **
971
7 Netherlands
3
1987
61 Northern Ireland
0
1398
115 Mongolia
1118
Pakistan **
926
8 Japan
-1
1984
62 India
-3
1395
116 Ethiopia
-5
1117
Syria **
921
9 Sweden
0
1976
63 Ecuador
-1
1393
117 Suriname
-5
1113
Liberia **
877
10 Brazil
-2
1964
64 Israel
-1
1392
118 Singapore
-11
1093
Iraq **
873
11 Korea DPR
0
1938
65 Peru
0
1380
119 Nicaragua
-6
1092
Kuwait **
870
2
12 Spain
0
1920
66 Greece
1
1376
120 Burkina Faso
-6
1062
British Virgin Islands **
867
13 Norway
0
1902
67 Bosnia and Herzegovina
1
1370
121 FYR Macedonia
-6
1056
Qatar **
864
14 Korea Republic
0
1880
68 Côte d’Ivoire
1
1363
122 American Samoa
-5
1047
Cayman Islands **
849
15 China PR
0
1871
69 Azerbaijan
1
1360
123 Kosovo
-5
1035
Belize **
825
16 Italy
1
1859
70 Equatorial Guinea
-16
1356
124 Tajikistan
-5
1031
Bhutan **
771
17 Denmark
-1
1842
71 Kazakhstan
0
1351
125 Bangladesh
1009
Burundi **
519
18 Switzerland
0
1832
72 Fiji
9
1350
126 Namibia
1006
Gambia *
1183
-6
19 New Zealand
1
1819
73 Haiti
-1
1349
127 St Lucia
-6
992
Cambodia *
1069
20 Scotland
-1
1810
74 Philippines
0
1347
128 St Kitts and Nevis
-6
989
Central African Republic *
1056
21 Belgium
2
1803
Uruguay
-1
1347
129 Bermuda
-6
987
Timor-Leste *
981
22 Iceland
0
1798
76 Bulgaria
-1
1340
130 Barbados
-6
984
Togo *
962
23 Austria
-2
1797
77 Hong Kong
0
1330
131 Tanzania
-6
976
Niger *
891
24 Ukraine
1
1728
78 Albania
-2
1325
132 Maldives
-6
960
Comoros *
837
25 Russia
1
1713
79 Morocco
-1
1300
133 St Vincent and the Grenadines
-6
956
Macau *
813
1
1700
80 Guatemala
1288
134 Lebanon
943
Libya *
761
-3
1698
81 Guam
1282
135 Kenya
-6
921
Turks and Caicos Islands *
704
Anguilla *
697
26 Colombia 27 Mexico
1
28 Finland
3
1672
82 Faroe Islands
2
1272
136 Dominica
-6
913
29 Thailand
-1
1670
83 Algeria
-3
1271
137 Rwanda
-6
896
0
1670
84 Indonesia
-5
1270
138 Grenada
-6
892
1
1668
85 Mali
4
1267
139 Afghanistan
-6
884
1249
140 US Virgin Islands
-6
874
-2
1245
141 Uganda
-6
873
Wales 31 Czech Republic 32 Portugal
1
1665
86 Tonga
-3
1663
87 Senegal
34 Poland
1
1656
88 Guyana
-2
1244
142 Mozambique
-5
867
35 Vietnam
1
1638
89 Malaysia
-2
1243
143 Lesotho
-5
850
33 Republic of Ireland
36 Argentina
1
1631
90 New Caledonia
37 Costa Rica
-3
1630
91 Bolivia
1239
144 Malawi
-5
837
-2
1232
145 Eswatini
-5
804
38 Chile
1
1601
92 United Arab Emirates
-1
1230
146 Antigua and Barbuda
-5
784
39 Nigeria
-1
1586
93 Latvia
-1
1224
147 Botswana
-5
755
40 Chinese Taipei
0
1577
Cuba
-5
1224
148 Curaçao
-5
752
41 Romania
2
1549
95 Moldova
-2
1222
149 Andorra
-5
747
-2
1220
150 Aruba
-5
742
1218
151 Madagascar
-5
693
152 Mauritius
-5
42 Serbia
0
1543
96 Montenegro
43 Hungary
2
1524
97 Tahiti
44 Myanmar
0
1519
98 Estonia
-3
1213
45 Slovakia
1
1509
99 Congo
-3
1196
Uzbekistan **
46 Cameroon
3
1499
100 Zimbabwe
-3
1192
Tunisia **
1313
47 Paraguay
1
1494
101 Malta
-3
1187
Bahrain **
1278
48 South Africa
2
1480
102 El Salvador
-2
1179
Laos **
1273
1479
103 Lithuania
-2
1176
Egypt **
1256
50 Ghana
-3
1452
104 Puerto Rico
-1
1175
Honduras **
1152
51 Croatia
-1
1446
105 Dominican Republic
-3
1169
Angola **
1134
49 Papua New Guinea
** Inactive for more than 18 months and therefore not ranked. * Provisionally listed due to not having played more than five matches against officially ranked teams.
358 1557
52 Jordan
5
1442
106 Palestine
-7
1167
Kyrgyz Republic **
1134
53 Jamaica
11
1436
107 Vanuatu
-3
1161
Sierra Leone **
1132
54 Panama
12
1433
108 Nepal
0
1160
Congo DR **
1132
Last updated: 7 December 2018
http://www.fifa.com/worldranking FIFA 1904 /
45
FIFA/COCA-COLA MEN’S WORLD RANKING
Rank Team
Rank Team
+ / – Points
Rank Team
+ / – Points
+ / – Points
Rank Team
0
1727
57 Ecuador
0
1382
113 Bahrain
0
1178
169 Fiji
0
981
2 France
0
1726
58 Finland
0
1378
114 Zimbabwe
1
1175
170 Moldova
0
979
3 Brazil
0
1676
59 Bolivia
0
1374
115 Sierra Leone
1
1172
171 St Lucia
0
976
4 Croatia
0
1634
60 Albania
0
1372
116 Philippines
-2
1171
172 Cambodia
0
970
5 England
0
1631
61 Burkina Faso
0
1371
117 Mozambique
0
1167
173 Grenada
0
968
6 Portugal
0
1614
62 Slovenia
0
1369
118 Thailand
0
1160
174 Cuba
0
963
7 Uruguay
0
1609
62 Honduras
0
1369
119 Kazakhstan
1
1159
175 Chad
0
956
8 Switzerland
0
1599
64 Mali
0
1363
120 Tajikistan
-2
1158
176 Bermuda
0
952
9 Spain
0
1591
65 Côte d’Ivoire
0
1356
120 Guinea-Bissau
1
1158
177 Guyana
3
951
0
1589
66 Guinea
0
1354
122 New Zealand
0
1157
178 Dominica
-1
950
10 Denmark
46
+ / – Points
1 Belgium
11 Argentina
0
1582
67 Algeria
0
1347
123 Togo
0
1136
179 Puerto Rico
-1
948
12 Colombia
0
1575
68 FYR Macedonia
0
1343
124 Chinese Taipei
0
1134
180 St Vincent and the Grenadines
-1
946
13 Chile
0
1565
69 Saudi Arabia
0
1335
125 Angola
0
1131
181 Liechtenstein
0
937
14 Sweden
0
1560
70 El Salvador
0
1327
126 Antigua and Barbuda
0
1126
182 Malta
0
926
14 Netherlands
0
1560
71 Panama
0
1326
127 Sudan
0
1120
183 Macau
0
925
16 Germany
0
1558
72 South Africa
0
1325
127 Turkmenistan
0
1120
184 Laos
0
923 920
17 Mexico
0
1540
72 Cape Verde Islands
0
1325
129 Nicaragua
0
1119
185 São Tomé and Príncipe
0
18 Italy
0
1539
74 Syria
0
1322
130 Malawi
0
1115
186 Bhutan
0
917
19 Wales
0
1525
75 Uganda
0
1320
131 Kosovo
0
1113
187 Aruba
0
916
20 Poland
0
1518
76 China PR
0
1317
132 Latvia
0
1112
188 Mongolia
0
915
20 Peru
0
1518
76 Belarus
0
1317
133 Andorra
0
1111
189 Seychelles
0
911
22 Austria
0
1509
78 Canada
0
1314
133 Lithuania
0
1111
190 Cook Islands
0
908
23 Senegal
0
1505
79 United Arab Emirates
0
1309
135 Yemen
0
1106
190 American Samoa
0
908
24 Romania
0
1501
80 Curaçao
0
1306
136 St Kitts and Nevis
0
1105
192 Guam
0
907
25 USA
0
1497
81 Lebanon
0
1296
137 Rwanda
0
1094
192 Bangladesh
0
907
26 Tunisia
0
1493
82 Oman
1
1295
138 Tanzania
0
1087
194 Gibraltar
0
905
27 Slovakia
0
1483
83 Zambia
-1
1292
139 Myanmar
0
1085
195 Brunei Darussalam
0
903
28 Ukraine
0
1482
84 Congo
0
1280
139 Burundi
0
1085
196 Timor-Leste
0
900
29 IR Iran
0
1481
85 Gabon
0
1277
141 Hong Kong
0
1078
197 Samoa
0
896
29 Serbia
0
1481
86 Luxembourg
0
1276
141 Eswatini
0
1078
197 Djibouti
0
896
31 Venezuela
0
1478
86 Cyprus
0
1276
143 Comoros
0
1076
199 Pakistan
0
888
32 Paraguay
0
1476
88 Iraq
0
1271
144 Solomon Islands
0
1073
200 Montserrat
0
887
33 Republic of Ireland
0
1474
89 Georgia
0
1269
145 Botswana
0
1071
201 Sri Lanka
0
886
34 Bosnia and Herzegovina
0
1472
90 Israel
0
1265
146 Lesotho
0
1069
202 US Virgin Islands
0
881
35 Northern Ireland
0
1465
91 Kyrgyz Republic
0
1264
147 Afghanistan
0
1068
203 Cayman Islands
0
874
36 Costa Rica
0
1464
92 Trinidad and Tobago
0
1260
148 Equatorial Guinea
0
1063
204 Tonga
0
868
37 Iceland
0
1452
93 Qatar
0
1258
149 Guatemala
0
1061
204 Eritrea
0
868
38 Scotland
0
1446
94 Benin
0
1257
150 Liberia
0
1051
204 Somalia
0
868
39 Turkey
0
1443
95 Uzbekistan
0
1251
151 Ethiopia
0
1049
207 British Virgin Islands
0
867
40 Morocco
0
1440
96 Estonia
0
1242
152 Maldives
0
1046
208 Turks and Caicos Islands
0
864 864
41 Australia
0
1436
97 India
0
1240
153 Suriname
0
1037
208 Anguilla
0
42 Czech Republic
0
1435
98 Faroe Islands
0
1238
154 Dominican Republic
0
1036
210 Bahamas
0
858
43 Greece
0
1428
99 Palestine
0
1236
154 New Caledonia
0
1036
211 San Marino
0
854
44 Nigeria
0
1427
100 Vietnam
0
1229
156 Mauritius
0
1022
44 Montenegro
0
1427
101 Mauritania
0
1222
157 Tahiti
0
1020
46 Bulgaria
0
1425
101 Armenia
0
1222
158 Kuwait
0
1018
46 Norway
0
1425
103 Haiti
0
1219
159 Indonesia
1
1003
48 Russia
0
1424
104 Libya
0
1217
160 Belize
1
1002
49 Congo DR
0
1420
105 Kenya
0
1210
161 Nepal
1
1001
50 Japan
0
1414
106 Madagascar
0
1209
162 Barbados
-3
998
51 Hungary
0
1412
107 Azerbaijan
0
1206
163 Vanuatu
0
996 994
51 Ghana
0
1412
108 Niger
0
1205
164 South Sudan
0
53 Korea Republic
0
1405
109 Korea DPR
0
1196
165 Singapore
0
991
54 Jamaica
0
1404
109 Jordan
0
1196
166 Gambia
0
986
55 Cameroon
0
1394
111 Namibia
0
1191
167 Malaysia
0
985
56 Egypt
0
1393
112 Central African Republic
0
1180
168 Papua New Guinea
-1
984
/ FIFA 1904
Last updated: 20 December 2018
http://www.fifa.com/worldranking
A CAREER IN PANINI STICKERS
RUUD GULLIT
© PANINI
66 caps for the Netherlands, European champion in 1988, European Cup winner in 1989 and 1990.
FIFA 1904 /
47
FIFA MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS
all”, and would do his utmost to take Armenian
GRAVINA AT THE HELM
football to a new level of
Gabriele
development. The new FFA
Gravina has
President explained that the
been elected
association would work to
as the new
create a new nationwide
President of the Italian
system to discover and
Football Association (FIGC).
develop talented young
He was the only candidate,
footballers for the future.
and succeeds Carlo
“We should expand the
Tavecchio, who stepped
geography of Armenian
down in November 2017.
football and carry out large-
Gravina called for unity
scale work on a regional
and teamwork under his
basis,” Vanetsyan stressed.
presidency: “Because this is
England
the hard work and commit-
what the Azzurri shirt, the
manager
ment of my staff and the
world of football and the
Gareth
players over the last two
whole of Italy want from
Southgate
years. I have learned a great
us.” He urged dialogue and
NEW TERM FOR PHILIPP
recently signed a new
deal from them, and their
four-year contract, with
passion and professionalism
The FA announcing the deal
in representing England
Paul Philipp
emphasis on families and
that will see the Three Lions
have been an inspiration to
will serve a
young people, and be
coach through to the 2022
my own work.” One of the
fifth term of
played in modern stadiums.
FIFA World Cup™ in Qatar.
most memorable moments
office as
Southgate led the 1966
of England’s run to the
President of the Luxem-
World Cup winners to a
semi-finals was undoubtedly
bourg FA (FLF). Philipp was
fourth-placed finish at
their round-of-16 penalty
elected by acclamation at
Russia 2018, the country’s
shoot-out victory against
the FLF’s 100 th general
joint-best placing at a World
Colombia.
assembly in Dommeldange,
Cup on foreign soil. “I am
and will be at the helm of
delighted to have the
the association for a further
opportunity to lead the
four years. He was first
national team through the
elected as President in 2004.
next two major tournaments,” Southgate said to
VANETSYAN ELECTED
that it should place an
The FLF places primary importance on football
TheFA.com after signing
Artur
development, and is
his new deal. “The job
Vanetsyan
committed to nurturing
remains an incredible
has been
talented players for the
elected as
future. The results of this
privilege and a true honour.
respect in football, stating
BUILDING PITCHES
Experiencing at first-hand
the new President of the
long-term work are coming
how the nation united
Football Federation of
to fruition, with F91
The small
behind the team this
Armenia (FFA). Vanetsyan,
Dudelange qualifying for
town of
summer was something
38, has been elected for a
this season’s UEFA Europa
Földeák, with
special, and it will be great
four-year term. Speaking
League group stage – the
to see how far this young
after his election, he said
first club from Luxembourg
of little more than 3,000
squad can go in the years to
that he would be guided by
to reach this stage in a
people, is 200 kilometres
come. I must acknowledge
the principle of “football for
European club competition.
from Budapest close to the
48
/ FIFA 1904
a population
Catherine Ivill / Getty Images, Paolo Bruno / Getty Images
FOUR MORE YEARS FOR SOUTHGATE
training and playing pitch.
The Glasgow-born Sermanni
Serbia. The opening of the
The Hungarian Football
first featured at the
Moshe
new football pitch in the
Federation, supported by
Women’s World Cup in
Zuares has
town’s school yard in
FIFA Forward, is delivering
1995 with Australia, and
been unani-
September 2018 was a
40 artificial turf pitches
returned to lead the
rather important event,
across the country in
Matildas to a breakthrough
elected as the new President
attracting the attention of
small- and medium-sized
quarter-final appearance
of the Israel Football
every citizen and every
towns that, until now, had
in 2007 before reprising
Association. Born in Petah
football-thirsty youngster in
been lacking the necessary
the feat four years later in
Tikva in 1972, Zuares played
the town. “In this town,
infrastructure to fully and
Germany. “Tom has the
in Maccabi Petah Tikva’s
every family – grandfathers
properly develop youth
experience to bring the
youth teams. He later served
and fathers, and now also
football.
group together in a short
as the chairman of the club,
mously
time frame in order to help
and went on to found his
daughters – participates in
them perform to their
own computer import
football,” said Imre Toth,
potential,” said New
company. “It is a big
Deputy Mayor of Földeák
Zealand interim Technical
challenge and a privilege
and headmaster of the local
Director Andy Boyens. “Tom
to try and develop Israeli
Lajos Navay Elementary
has a good understanding
football,” said Zuares.
grandsons and grand
School, while welcoming everybody on that bright
SERMANNI IN THE LEAD
of the current playing group that will enable him to hit
day. “For me, the most
Highly
the ground running. He also
important message from
experienced
has a passion for football in
the handing over of this
coach Tom
this part of the world and
Sermanni is
will be a great cultural fit for
pitch, financed by FIFA and
Doug Pensinger / Getty Images
ZUARES ELECTED
borders with Romania and
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICE IN JOHANNESBURG
the Hungarian Football
set to feature in a fourth
New Zealand Football and
Federation, is that football
FIFA Women’s World Cup™
the Football Ferns.”
has the power to bring
after being named to lead
together everyone living
New Zealand. Most recently
In a major
in this community,” he
coach of NWSL club Orlando
step forward
concluded in his short but
Pride, Sermanni previously
for the
passionate speech. Soon
led the USA for two years.
development
after, young girls and boys
of football in Africa, FIFA
from nine to 14 years old
has officially opened its
took possession of their
second Regional Develop-
own new pitch and immedi-
ment Office on the African
ately started to make full
continent, in Johannesburg,
use of it. The installation of
South Africa. In line with
the new artificial turf and
FIFA 2.0 and its ongoing
the necessary foundation
commitment to promoting
works took just over a
and growing football
month, but was completed
around the world, the new
in time for the beginning
office in Johannesburg will
of the new school year,
provide dedicated assistance
the formation of the new
and support to member
school football teams and
associations in the success-
with the aspiring young
ful delivery of FIFA Forward
talents anxious to enjoy
in Africa. Speaking at the
their new high-quality
inauguration, Joyce Cook, FIFA 1904 /
49
FIFA MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS
and FIFA representatives
objectives and strategies for
tion and development
Associations Officer, said:
present at the gathering.
our local football to benefit
benefits of using the FIFA
“As the second fully
The new artificial turf will
from the FIFA Forward
Connect Platform – which
operational FIFA Regional
not only allow the Botswana
Programme, and the
is offered as a free service
Development Office in
national team – also known
organisation will support us
to the member associations.
Africa, Johannesburg is a
as the Zebras – to train in
during the whole process.
Topics covered during the
key addition to FIFA’s
proper conditions, but will
As a member association,
four-day forum included
international network of
serve as a venue for league
we decide what we want to
how amateur and profes-
regional development
matches and youth competi-
achieve. However, we still
sional clubs, players,
offices. This new office
tions. The new facility is
have to comply with some
coaches and officials in the
will provide day-to-day and
expected to contribute
important requirements to
region can use FIFA Connect
local support in the COSAFA
significantly towards
qualify for the FIFA Forward
to enhance registration
region as FIFA aims to work
improving the quality of
Programme, in our case, our
numbers and registration
ever more closely alongside
performance and permitting
commitment is to football
efficiency. Speaking at the
our member associations in
the Zebras to realise their
youth development, which
workshop, Marlon Glean,
our shared commitment to
potential on the pitch. The
includes our youth league.”
FIFA Regional Development
develop football globally.”
new pitch is part of the
Manager for the Caribbean,
The Johannesburg office
training centre of the
said: “With 22 member
is one of ten regional
Botswana Football Associ
associations from across
development offices to have
ation (BFA). The centre will
been opened by FIFA since
also be further developed in
the launch of the Forward
order to become a modern,
Programme in 2016. Other
fully equipped hub of
FIFA regional development
preparation for the brightest
Football
administrators from across
offices are already up and
talents in the country. Just a
administra-
the region, to educate them
running in India, Malaysia,
short distance away from
tors from 22
on the operational aspects
New Zealand, Panama,
the Botswana National
Caribbean
of the FIFA Connect
Paraguay, Senegal,
Stadium, the new facility is
member associations
Platform and how it can
Barbados and the United
ideally situated to serve the
recently gathered in
contribute to achieving their
Arab Emirates.
strategy set up by the BFA
Barbados to take part in a
development goals.”
for developing football in
four-day educational work-
the country. The Minister
shop on the FIFA Connect
of Youth Empowerment,
Programme – the global
Sports and Culture
player and stakeholder
Development of Botswana,
online registration system.
NEW PITCH FOR THE ZEBRAS
FIFA Chief Member
the Caribbean attending
FIFA CONNECT WORKSHOP IN BARBADOS
this week, this workshop provided an important opportunity to engage with
2022 YOUTH OLYMPICS
Thapelo Olopeng, was
Hosted at the FIFA Regional
In Gaborone,
present at the official
Development Office in
the capital
opening and praised the
Bridgetown, Barbados, the
The IOC has
and largest
new facility and the work
workshop brought together
selected
city of
of the BFA. Maclean
administrators from across
Senegalese
Botswana with 231,626
Letshwiti, the President of
the northern and southern
capital Dakar
inhabitants, a new football
the BFA, said: “The project
Caribbean to familiarise
as the Host City for the 2022
pitch is big news. With the
crystallises the importance
them with the FIFA Connect
Summer Youth Olympic
support of FIFA Forward, a
of being a member of the
Platform. Members from the
Games. The event, which is
new football pitch was
international football body.
FIFA Member Associations
scheduled to take place in
recently inaugurated at the
These are the benefits of
Division led the interactive
four years’ time, will be the
Lekidi Football Centre with
being a FIFA member. Our
workshop and shared their
first IOC event to be held in
members of the government
obligation is to set up
insights on the administra-
Africa.
50
/ FIFA 1904
PROACTIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN IN CANADA
Girls Academy project. The
education, have an impact
aim of this initiative is to
on wider society and
discover and develop the
encourage gender equality,
most talented players in
thus improving and dignify-
Peru, with the goal of them
ing the role of women in all
eventually representing the
walks of life.
national team. “We’re very happy to announce the launch of this first academy in Peru, which also coincides with new coaching staff
SECOND SPORTS LAW SEMINAR
identifying the most
said Patricia González,
taken a
talented players across the
Women’s Football Technical
proactive
nation,” said Kenneth
Programmes Manager at
The Radisson
approach to
Heiner-Møller, Canada’s
FIFA. “This will allow for
ar Hotel in
women’s football in recent
senior women’s team coach
consistency in approach
Bogotá
years, pursuing a vigorous
and director of the Women’s
across age groups, meaning
recently
development plan since the
EXCEL Program, which
that the players will receive
played host to the second
launch of the Women’s
targets every age category
the best preparation with
edition of the CONMEBOL
EXCEL Program in 2014.
between 14 and 20. Nor is
future competitive inter
Sports Law Seminar.
That initiative has already
the task simply limited to
nationals in mind,” she
Organised under the
produced excellent results,
uncovering potential. “Our
added. “What’s more, these
umbrella of CONMEBOL’s
with Canada’s fourth place
programme allows us to
academies will provide
Evolution Programme, the
at the FIFA U-17 Women’s
keep an eye on all the
players with the requisite
event was attended by
World Cup Uruguay 2018
female players in the
resources for their complete
representatives of the
offering the latest proof
country, with special atten-
development, both as
Colombian Football
of its success. While the
tion paid to the biggest
people and athletes.” The
Association’s 70 member
country’s senior team
talents,” added Rhian
FIFA Girls Academy is a
organisations. CONMEBOL’s
continues to grow as a
Wilkinson, the coach of
fundamental part of a larger
Ethics and Compliance
global force, Canada now
Canada’s U-17 side. “They
and more ambitious
Officer, Graciela Garay,
boasts stronger and deeper
then get the chance to
strategic plan for the
kicked off the proceedings
pools of talent in younger
develop in our three largest
development of Peruvian
with her opening address.
age groups. Few players
training centres.”
Canada has
women’s football that is
The subsequent sessions
sum up that dynamic better
currently being implement-
were variously led by Julio
than Jordyn Huitema, Jayde
ed. Aside from increasing
Lansac of the CONMEBOL
Riviere, Maya Antoine and
quality in the competitions
Legal Department, the
Ariel Young. Having repre-
and teams, which in turn
Uruguayan FA’s Chief
sented their country with
will make for a more
Administrative Officer,
pride in Uruguay, all four
competitive and successful
Horacio Pintos, and officials
game, the plan also aims to
from the Colombian FA
give exposure to women’s
Legal Department. Subjects
have already taken their first steps at senior level. As the
FIRST FIFA GIRLS ACADEMY
world’s second largest
The Peruvian
football by creating a model
explored ranged from
country after Russia, Canada
FA (FPF) has
for comprehensive, profes-
compliance to club licensing,
faces a stern challenge
given women’s
sional and self-sustaining
the domestic and inter
when it comes to discover-
football in
management. It also aspires
national transfer of players,
Maddie Meyer / FIFA via Getty Images
joining the national teams,”
ing new prospects. “It’s a
Peru a considerable boost
to contribute to players’
governance and the work of
question, above all, of
with the launch of the FIFA
personal development and
judicial bodies. FIFA 1904 /
51
MATOSAS NAMED NEW COACH
because it’s a wonderful
to thank the UAE for their
districts of Bangladesh on a
opportunity, and I’m going
full cooperation and hospi-
yearly basis. Under the
to take it as if it were my
tality.” Abbas Torabian, an
terms of the partnership,
own country.”
AFC futsal consultant, also
the BFF has appointed
explained the good practices
UNICEF as the exclusive
required for the professional
Development Partner of the
management of futsal clubs.
Bangladesh national U-16
The workshop focused on
girls’ football team. BFF
discussions on the current
President Kazi Salahuddin
state of futsal clubs in the
and UNICEF Bangladesh
CLUB FUTSAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE UAE
Former
Saul Gonzalez / Getty Images
Uruguay
UAE, while clubs gave
representative Edouard
The AFC Futsal
presentations on the general
Beigbeder signed the agree-
Development
outlook, administration,
ment on behalf of their
Department
marketing, coach education
respective organisations.
recently
and league operations.
“This initiative will offer a
international
concluded its AFC Futsal
unique opportunity to
Gustavo
enhance UNICEF’s partner-
in Sharjah, the United Arab
ships in the world of sport
the man to lead Costa Rica
Emirates. The two-day
by bringing into the lime-
into their 2022 FIFA World
workshop was intended to
light the hidden talent
Cup Qatar qualifying
introduce a futsal club licens-
campaign. It is Matosas’ first
ing system in the UAE. The
international appointment
Head of AFC Futsal & Beach
UNICEF
change lives,” said Beigbeder.
but the 53-year-old boasts
Soccer Development, Ali
Bangladesh
Reaching children through
extensive experience at
Targholizadeh, led the AFC
has signed a
sport was an obvious move
club level. After starting out
delegation. The chairman of
two-year
for UNICEF, he said, as
in Uruguay, Matosas won
the UAE Futsal Committee,
partnership agreement with
children are naturally drawn
the local league title with
Abdul Malek Jani, welcomed
the Bangladesh Football
to outside activities, and
Danubio in 2007. The
the AFC delegates and the
Federation (BFF) to bolster
popular sports like football
Argentine-born Matosas
futsal club representatives.
girls’ empowerment through
can play a vital role in
enjoyed notable success in
“It’s our pleasure to welcome
football. The agreement is
empowering children in
Mexico, winning two
the AFC experts and learn
part of UNICEF’s long-term
general and girls in particular.
championships with León
about futsal club licensing.
commitment to make sports
Beigbeder said that Bangla-
(Apertura 2013 and
This is an excellent opportun
available to all, especially
desh’s female national U-16
Clausura 2014), and a year
ity and a challenge for the
women and girls. The
players were now “models
later the 2015 Concacaf
futsal clubs in the UAE to
UNICEF logo will be placed
of girl empowerment and
Champions League with
take their professionalism to
on the shirts of the national
emancipation” and had set
Club América. He has also
the next level.” For his part,
U-16 girls’ football team for
an example for other girls in
coached in Peru, Saudi
Targholizadeh said: “The
all national and internation-
the country to follow. He
Arabia, Paraguay and Argen-
AFC is ready to assist the
al matches and practice
said that sport promotes
tina. “This is a great honour
UAE in the second phase of
sessions under the partner-
equity and inclusion and
for me, to represent through
the futsal development
ship. In addition, UNICEF
plays a crucial role in break-
the national team, a country
programme, which is to
will work closely with the
ing down entrenched
like Costa Rica,” Matosas
develop futsal clubs in the
BFF to encourage more girls
attitudes and practices that
said. “It’s a wonderful
UAE. Futsal is popular in the
to participate in football
discriminate against girls,
challenge that I’m very
UAE. Therefore, it can also
by organising national talent
including child marriage,
excited about. I’ve talked to
be used as a strong tool at
hunts and football tourna-
child trafficking and violence
my whole family about it
grassroots level. I would like
ments covering all 64
against children.
Club Development Workshop
Matosas has been named as
GIRLS’ EMPOWERMENT
scattered across the country with a strong potential to
FIFA 1904 /
53
THEN
1970 MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
Popperfoto / Getty Images
Sombrero man Pelé is held aloft in the Estadio Azteca after Brazil’s 4-1 defeat of Italy, his country’s third World Cup triumph.
54
/ FIFA 1904
NOW
2018 MOSCOW, RUSSIA
Sergei Bobylev, TASS / Getty Images
Homage France defender Benjamin Mendy takes a leaf out of the legendary Brazilian’s book following his team’s 4-2 World Cup final win over Croatia.
FIFA 1904 /
55
A FIFA LEGEND’S CAREER FIFA Legend Dario Šimić made exactly 100 appearances for Croatia, starring in the legendary Miroslav Blažević team that claimed third place at France ‘98. Šimić played in three World Cups and three European Championships, and is rightfully regarded as one of his nation’s finest ever defenders.
1992-1998 Dinamo Zagreb Šimić makes his debut for Dinamo at the age of 16, setting a new record as the club’s youngest player. He quickly establishes himself as first choice under
1992 The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert takes place at Wembley Stadium on 20 April.
Blažević, and goes on to win five league titles and four cups in just six years.
1999-2002 Inter Milan Šimić sets another Dinamo record when he moves to Inter Milan for around EUR 11 million
1999 Total solar eclipse over Europe and western Asia on 11 August.
on the back of his impressive World Cup performances. In Milan, he slots into a strong side featuring the likes of Roberto Baggio, Ronaldo, Iván Zamorano and Christian Vieri.
2002-2008 AC Milan Šimić moves across the city and, despite recurrent injuries and not always being a regular starter, he enjoys the most successful period of his career, winning two UEFA Champions League
2002 Switzerland becomes the 190th member of the United Nations on 10 September.
Illustration: Jorge Lawerta
titles, one Serie A and one Coppa Italia.
2008-2010 AS Monaco Šimić impresses in his first season in France before falling out of favour after seeing red in a match
2008 The QE2 embarks on her farewell voyage on 11 November.
against Le Havre in April 2009. Twelve months later, he transfers back to Dinamo Zagreb for the final three matches of his career. FIFA 1904 /
57
PHOTO ARCHIVE
A trophy for keeps Coach Mário Zagallo (left of the trophy) heads the procession as the Seleção parade the Jules Rimet Trophy through the streets of Brasília, the Brazilian capital, following their 4-1 triumph over Italy in the 1970 World Cup final. It was the third time that Brazil had won the cup, and they were now entitled to keep it for good. 58
/ FIFA 1904
Popperfoto / Getty Images
FIFA 1904 /
59
YOU WANT TO BE INSPIRED WE BELIEVE ONE FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP FRANCE 2019TM IS ALL IT TAKES One click is all it takes to start your journey to the FIFA Women’s World Cup™. See ticketing terms.
Buy tickets at www.fifa.com/fifawwc/tickets
Š Mordillo Foundation. All rights reserved. Licensed by Rubinstein Royalty Management B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands; www.mordillo.com; Illustration provided by Rubinstein Royalty Management B.V., Mordillo Worldwide Licensing, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
MORDILLO
FIFA 1904 /
61
INNOVATIONS
SERBIA EXCEL IN THE STAMINA STAKES Pinpoint shots from distance and more goals from corners: the Technical Study Group’s report on Russia 2018 makes for fascinating reading. By Annette Braun
The report by the Technical Study Group (TSG) on the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ contains a wealth of tournament and match statistics along with team profiles. Exclusive TV highlights are also available in this year’s edition at the click of a mouse. Zvonimir Boban, FIFA Deputy Secretary General (Football), says: “This is a new approach to the TSG report, which is a modern working tool providing relevant insight into where the game is going. It’s also another example of how FIFA is using technology to enhance football analysis.”
KEY FINDINGS OF THE REPORT: • Spain had the highest ball possession (69%) but fell in the round of 16, while France – who finished a lowly 19th in terms of possession – ended up as champions. • Serbia covered the greatest distance per match (113km), whereas France, in 28th place, covered just 101km. • Shooting efficiency from outside the penalty area improved dramatically: the average strike rate was a goal per 29 long-range attempts, compared to one in 42 at Brazil 2014. • One in every 29 corners led to a goal – the figure at South Africa 2010 was 61. This trend of superior effectiveness carried on into the knockout stage in Russia, where teams scored from one in every 31 corners, compared to every 41 in Brazil. • We saw less of the so-called playmakers at this World Cup, perhaps as a result of the way teams played. However, there were still some outstanding individuals in this area. Paul Pogba of France excelled, but Croatia’s Luka Modrić stole the show. You can find the full report, including links to the video analysis, on FIFA.com.
62
/ FIFA 1904
Kevin Cox / Getty Images
FIFA 1904 /
63
PUBLICATION DETAILS: FIFA 1904 – PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION (FIFA). PUBLISHER FIFA, FIFA-Strasse 20, P.O. Box, 8044 Zurich, Switzerland Phone +41 (0)43 222 7777 PRESIDENT Gianni Infantino SECRETARY GENERAL Fatma Samoura CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Fabrice Jouhaud HEAD OF COMMUNICATION CONTENT Bruno Sassi CHIEF EDITOR Perikles Monioudis STAFF WRITERS Alan Schweingruber (Deputy Editor), Annette Braun ART DIRECTION Roger Fehlbaum PICTURE EDITOR 13Photo LAYOUT Susanne Egli, Linda Schwartz TRANSLATION AND PROOFREADING English: Andrew Hurley, Stuart Makin, Milica Bennett-Sajin, Hugo Steckelmacher, Eugénie Stephenson; French: Alexandre Adriano, Alexandre Hubert, Alexandre Károlyi, Nicolas Samier; Spanish: Irene Antolín Pérez, José Ibarra, Juan F. López Vera, Natalia Pita Álvarez; German: Sandra Locher, Yves-Manuel Méan, Gabriela Straube-Zweifel CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE Dr Michel D’Hooghe PRODUCTION Philipp Mahrer / Hans-Peter Frei PRINTING ZT Medien AG CONTACT feedback-magazine@fifa.org INTERNET www.FIFA.com/Magazine
Reproduction of photographs and articles of FIFA 1904 in whole or in part is only permitted with prior editorial approval and with reference to the source (FIFA 1904, © FIFA 2019). The editor and staff are not obliged to publish unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. The views expressed in FIFA 1904 are not necessarily those of FIFA. FIFA and the FIFA logo are registered trademarks. Made and printed in Switzerland. 64
/ FIFA 1904
AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 28TH
CHAMPIONS RISE
EA SPORTS™ FIFA 19 delivers a champion-caliber experience on and off the pitch. The UEFA Champions League is integrated into every facet of the game, so that anyone can lift the famous trophy. FIFA 19 also offers enhanced gameplay features that allow you to control the pitch in every moment, including Timed Finishing, Active Touch, Dynamic Tactics, and more. Don’t miss the dramatic finale to Alex Hunter’s story in The Journey: Champions, then build your dream squad in FIFA Ultimate Team with a new match mode and more added features that help you lead your team to greatness.
* FROSTBITE GAME ENGINE AND THE JOURNEY: CHAMPIONS ARE AVAILABLE ON XBOX ONE, PLAYSTATION 4 AND PC PLATFORM VERSIONS ONLY. UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CONTENT AVAILABLE ON XBOX ONE, PLAYSTATION 4, PC AND NINTENDO SWITCH VERSIONS ONLY. PLEASE VISIT https://www.easports.com/fifa/features FOR MORE DETAILS ON WHAT FEATURES ARE AVAILABLE ON EACH PLATFORM. © 2018 Electronic Arts Inc. EA, EA SPORTS and the EA SPORTS logo are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Official FIFA licensed product. © FIFA and FIFA’s Official Licensed Product Logo are copyrights and/or trademarks of FIFA. All rights reserved. Manufactured under license by Electronic Arts Inc. The UEFA word, CHAMPIONS LEAGUE word, the UEFA logo and all marks related to UEFA competitions (including but not limited to logos, designs, mascots, products, trophies and names) are owned and protected as trademarks, designs and/or as copyright works by UEFA.
LIVING FOOTBALL IS A COMMITMENT TO THE GAME, TO THE PEOPLE, TO THE PLANET, TO THE FUTURE. Living Football underpins our vision for football: for the here and now, for the future, and for the people who make it so special – be they our players, coaches, fans, partners or others. Football belongs to the people; to all of us who live football, every day.
FIFA.com