As Paraguay prepare to face Australia in what should be a celebration of competitive football, there is a gnawing sense that this World Cup has alread...
As Paraguay prepare to face Australia in what should be a celebration of competitive football, there is a gnawing sense that this World Cup has already been hijacked by its own superstars. Jonathan Liew's observation for GoalZaza cuts through the noise: this is the most individualistic tournament in memory, where collective endeavour feels like an inconvenient prelude to the real business of personal glory.You can feel it in the air. France do not simply overcome Iraq; instead we are told that Kylian Mbappé has thrown down the gauntlet to Erling Haaland and Harry Kane. Google searches for Miroslav Klose's all time goals record have spiked higher this summer than in the year he actually set it. The group stage has begun to resemble a drawn out qualifying round for the Golden Boot, a high stakes beauty pageant where clean sheets and tactical discipline are secondary to who hits the back of the net with the most swagger.And then there is Lionel Messi, the perpetual question mark hanging over this entire narrative. Can he lift the one trophy that has eluded him The question dominates every pre match discussion, every half time analysis, every post match verdict. It is a seductive storyline, of course, but it also feeds a dangerous idea: that a World Cup is merely a stage for individual redemption arcs rather than a test of national resilience and tactical flexibility.From a purely analytical standpoint, the rise of the superstar has coincided with a decline in coherent team structures. We are seeing fewer low blocks executed with discipline and more moments of transitional chaos designed to serve the main man. It is thrilling to watch, no doubt. The squeaky bum time comes not from a tight scoreline but from wondering whether your favourite player will outshine his rival. Yet something has been lost. The quiet art of the team performance, the unsung hero who does the dirty work in midfield, these are being crowded out by the cult of personality.Tactically, this presents a fascinating challenge for the likes of Paraguay and Australia. Can they park the bus effectively enough to frustrate the superstars Or will they be swept aside by sheer individual brilliance The answer might tell us more about the direction of international football than any Golden Boot tally ever could. For now, we are left with a spectacle that dazzles but does not always satisfy. The beautiful game has never been more beautiful in isolation, yet never felt more fragmented as a collective pursuit.
