Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterAuthor Chris Evans spoke to dozens of managers and players from different eras for his book How to Win the World Cup: Secrets and Insights from International Top Football Managers. Updated for the 2026 tournament, the book includes exclusive interviews with legends such as Sir Geoff Hurst, Pierre Littbarski and Luiz Felipe Scolari, as it pieces together a blueprint of what it takes for a nation to get its hands on the trophy. Evans has picked out the six common trends from winning campaigns of the past to build an idea of how to win the World Cup.Hire the right managerRecent history suggests that international football is increasingly becoming a specialist subject, with success in the club game not always translating to a glittering stint with a national team. The likes of Lionel Scaloni, Joachim Low and Luis de la Fuente have all won major tournaments, despite having very little if anything to shout about on their domestic CVs. Association men who understand the demands of tournaments and the temperament needed to manage internationally tend to fare best.Lose a gameThis might seem counterintuitive, but suffering some adversity as a group is a great way to mould a winning side as long as they dont make a habit of it. The best teams seem to have overcome something together first, whether its an early defeat to refocus their minds, ala Spain in 2010 or Argentina last time out, or a number of near misses that help them shape a winning formula. In the aftermath of the 2018 final, France boss Didier Deschamps talked about how losing the Euro 2016 final had been key in their development to becoming World Cup winners two years later. You may like England arent the greatest team in the heat, but we got to the semi-finals in Italy in 1990 when it was hot if you let the little things get to you, its all negatives Former England favourites open up on the challenge of the North American climate World Cup 2026 power rankings: Are Lionel Messi and Argentina still the team to beat? Emile Heskey exclusive: How players will switch off from social media at the World Cup Pragmatism beats ideologyInternational football tends to be much more pragmatic than the club game and successful managers tend to be aware of the tactical limits theyre working within at a World Cup. Significantly less time with players means its almost impossible for coaches to emulate the intricate attacking moves or choreographed presses of the club game, so tactics need to be adapted to that environment even if the fans dont like it. The nature of knockout football is that not losing is a much more important skill over the course of a tournament than an ability to blow teams away. It sounds boring, but thats what tends to win World Cups.Let a group grow togetherInternational squads take much longer to bond together than they do at club level because theyre not together as a group for anywhere near as long. This means that creating and maintaining a core of players throughout a multi-year international cycle is important, with continuity forming a settled environment at training camps. That doesnt mean that new faces shouldnt be integrated when form demands, but showing faith with key leaders in the group and not chopping and changing huge swathes of the squad is crucial when building something successful.Pick a balanced squadCramming a squad full of the nations best players might seem like the obvious thing to do when heading to a World Cup, but too many senior players vying for only 11 starting slots can be a recipe for disaster. In fact, some dissenting players in tournaments gone by have proved that some stars are best either starting or being left at home. Mixing experience with youth and including players who are happy to take squad roles is more likely to achieve success, thanks to a happier group that isnt competing with each other or sulking over not playing the minutes they expect.Create a positive atmosphereTournament football is uniquely intense, with players away in training camps for more than a month if theyre going to lift the trophy. Draconian rules such as Fabio Capellos ketchup ban during the 2010 World Cup no access to families and limited entertainment can create a conflicting atmosphere where players are looking forward to going home, even if theyre still aiming to progress in the tournament. The happiest camps are the ones that give players an element of freedom and trust. A striking example is Vicente del Bosque granting his victorious Spain side of 2010 a mid-tournament night out after beating Portugal in the round of 16 to blow off some steam and build unity. Its safe to say it worked.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.The updated version of How to Win the World Cup by Chris Evans is published by Bloomsbury and is out now in paperback HERETOPICSArgentinaFranceItalySpainWorld CupWorld Cup 2026World Cup 2018World Cup 2010World Cup 1966Chris EvansSocial Links NavigationFreelance WriterChris Evans is a freelance journalist and has been a regular FourFourTwo contributor since 2014, covering a wide range of stories up and down the football pyramid. Chris's work has also appeared in the Guardian, the Independent and other national newspapers, as well as on the BBC Sport and Mail websites. He is also the author of two books for Bloomsbury Sport, How to Win the World Cup: Secrets and Insights from International Football's Top Managers in 2022, and Gary Lineker: A Portrait of a Football Icon, which was published in 2025.
