100 days left until the biggest World Cup in soccer history. The 48-team expansion tournament, which begins June 11, will be the most controversial, expensive and extravagant ever seen.
From a football perspective, tactical trends will be more important than ever, while heat and weather conditions in the United States, Mexico and Canada will have a big impact.
If the Club World Cup is scheduled, those watching from their chairs in the UK will probably have no idea what time it is, but be prepared for storm delays and travel disruption.
Calls for a boycott are already growing, with US President Donald Trump playing a central role alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
As it stands, it is impossible to imagine how Iran can play in a country that is bombing its own people. This would be very unpleasant not only for Iran but also for other countries.
read more: England players voice concerns as political issues surround the 2026 World Cup
The World Cup is always portrayed as a celebration, but the world is on the brink. It’s too simplistic to say that football will solve that problem and we’ll just get on with it.
This is a tournament like no other. Sure, we’ve had concerns in the past about security in South Africa, the controversy in Qatar, and the inability to believe that Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup, but hosting a World Cup across three countries raises all sorts of debates about the environment.
Thomas Tuchel and Harry Kane hope to lead England to glory this summer (Image: Getty Images)
VAR expansion is ‘good for tournaments’
When we finally turn to soccer, the changes in the law will be very noticeable. Corner kicks and yellow cards will also be subject to VAR.
A countdown clock will be used to reduce wasted time during goal kicks, throw-ins and substitutions. I don’t understand how people think that’s a bad thing. FIFA has been subjected to some ridicule because it is effectively “trying out” the World Cup.
Does anyone remember what happened in 2018? It was the first World Cup to feature VAR. It went well, and video officiating at major tournaments has been working well ever since.
guess what? The Premier League took another year to implement VAR in English football for the 2019/20 season, but that delay roughly coincided with the difference in how VAR works in the World Cup and the top flight.
VAR is expected to be used more than in the Premier League (Image: Getty Images)
The World Cup has some of the best officials on the pitch and in the video hub. They are selected from each country. And it shows.
That’s why this change is actually good for football. Eliminate wasted time and mistakes. FIFA is doing it quickly compared to the snail’s pace of the Premier League.
What would be really bad would be to suddenly force a change to the offside rule at the last minute. Manager Arsene Wenger’s proposal to use a new “daylight” rule will be trialled in Canada.
Then again, why not adopt something that makes the game more interesting and a better spectacle with more goals? Especially at a time when we’re obsessed with the Premier League ending. It’s just not ready yet. But it’s a good idea.
Tuchel likely to follow Premier League set-piece trend
One thing is certain: England manager Thomas Tuchel will follow his tendency to rely on set pieces.
That’s extremely important in the intense heat of the United States. Pump the ball into the box. Look at the set-piece specialist. Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Reece James are the corners. Then, in the 97th minute, big man Dan Byrne scored from a set-piece inside the box.
There is no doubt that set pieces will become bigger. However, if you actually follow the Club World Cup, Chelsea played at an incredibly high tempo and defeated Paris Saint-Germain, even though the semi-finals and final were played in the heat of New Jersey. They didn’t see it coming. I also think there will be fewer teams playing with a high press or two strikers.
Declan Rice’s corner will be key for England this summer
And what’s not so good…
What bothers me is what that cost means to the fans. Every tournament is made by the fans. Colors, sounds, memories. But so many things are dropping in price.
It’s easy to blame skyrocketing airline ticket prices. But in reality, concerts and sporting events in America cost that much. That’s really true. And travel and hotels. It’s going to be an expensive World Cup.
FIFA tried to address this problem with cheaper entry-level tickets. As time passes and we get closer, it would be great to have more information and more assistance with travel and accommodation. If fans stay away in droves, the stones of the tournament will die.
I like the new tennis style draws and seeds. You can see the trajectory of the team. You can chart England’s path to glory.
Will they get there? I think it’s a long-term battle. But Tuchel will give them a chance. Same goes for set pieces. Corner-kicks and free-kicks may be dirty words at the moment, but they could become England’s friends in the summer.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
