A systematic analysis of tactical and technical aspects of different confederation teams participating in the 2022 FIFA World Cup

This study aims to systematically analyze the attacking directions of teams from different confederations participating in the 2022 FIFA World Cup from a tactical and technical perspective to understand the level of competition between confederations. The population of the research consists of teams that participated in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, while the sample includes the teams that advanced the most rounds among different confederations: Argentina (Champion), France (Finalist), Morocco (Semifinalist), Japan (Round of 16), and the USA (Round of 16). A total of 64 matches were played in the tournament, and 29 matches involving teams from different continental confederations were analyzed. The attacking directions of these teams were examined based on eight parameters determined according to the literature. The data for the study were obtained from the INSTAT analysis program and FIFA's official website. Additionally, to evaluate the data, the matches were watched using the video analysis method, recorded manually with a pen-and-paper approach, and later transferred to a computer for analysis using a match tracking form. MS Excel was used for data organization, table creation, and data analysis. Furthermore, SPSS 26.0 statistical package program was used for statistical analyses in the study. The data were processed by the researcher, and frequency analyses and crosstabs were applied. As a result, when the attacking performance parameters of different confederation teams were systematically analyzed from a tactical and technical perspective, it was observed that the South American confederation team Argentina emerged as the tournament champion, while the European confederation team France became the finalist, and the African confederation team Morocco reached the semi-finals. The USA and Japan advanced to the Round of 16. The strong attacking performances of the South American team Argentina and the European team France, their effective passing plays, and high efficiency rates—along with their superior ability to enter the opponent's half, the final third, and the penalty area more frequently than other confederation teams, as well as their effective use of both wings—were identified as key factors in their success and progression to the final. On the other hand, the more limited attacking strategies of the other confederation teams, Morocco, Japan, and the USA, enabled them to advance to a certain stage in the tournament but left them behind the South American champion Argentina and the European finalist France. This suggests that these other confederation teams need to improve their style of play. The systematic analyses conducted in this study reveal the impact of attacking strategies, passing organizations, and overall game approaches on team success and provide a valuable roadmap for teams looking to enhance their gameplay. However, it has also been concluded that continental football trends cannot be solely limited to these criteria and should be analyzed more comprehensively through further extensive studies. Keywords: Attacking Strategies, Confederation Teams, Football, Match Analysis