Wenger: 'The team that is good at attacking the wide will win the 2022 World Cup'

According to Wenger, the FIFA Research Team has shown that the number of goals from widening at the tournament in Qatar has increased by 83% compared to four years ago.

The former Arsenal manager said in the release of the figures on December 4: "Teams are prioritizing defense in the central area so there will be more openings on the flanks. This means strong teams, with bridges. A good winger will have the best chance of winning the title."

The developments of the round of 16 matches reinforce the view of Wenger, who currently holds the role of FIFA's Director of Global Football Development. In the Netherlands' 3-1 win over the US, all four goals came from wide attacks as right-back Denzel Dumfries became key in the "Orange Whirlwind" victory with two assists.

In France's 3-1 win over Poland, Kylian Mbappe, in the role of a left winger, shone with two goals. However, the French tables are largely personal. He also has good players on the flanks like Luke Shaw, Bukayo Saka or Phil Foden. Of the four teams that made it to the quarterfinals, Argentina probably attacked the center the most as their ability to hit the ball relied heavily on Lionel Messi.

"It is very difficult for teams to break the opponent's defense from the center. The distance between the defense and midfield is so close that there is almost no way to spark from this area," Reuters quoted the former Germany coach as saying. Jurgen Klinsmann, also a member of the FIFA Analysis Team led by Wenger.

The defensive strategy that emphasizes certainty in the middle also leads to 33% fewer passing situations at the 2022 World Cup than the tournament in Russia 2018. According to Klinsmann, most of the passes often appear. in South American teams.

Another significant change is the time it takes for goalkeepers to be ready to receive a pass from a teammate. At the 2018 World Cup, this number was 443 minutes and in Qatar it was 726 minutes. According to Wenger, this shows that goalkeepers' foot skills are increasingly important.

In addition, the FIFA Analysis Team assessed that matches with more injury time did not affect the outcome of the match much, but required higher fitness from the players.