Twelve matches into the 2026 World Cup, familiar patterns are emerging from an otherwise gloriously varied tournament. From the surprising resurgence of an old formation to increasingly creative midfield structures, the tactical picture is taking shape — and it is a fascinating one.

The return of 4-4-2

Perhaps the most striking observation is the widespread return of the 4-4-2 — a formation that felt like a relic of early-2000s Premier League football. Teams including Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Brazil, Haiti, Scotland, and Japan have all opted for this shape out of possession at various points.

Rather than sitting in a deep defensive block or pressing relentlessly high — both of which are taxing in the tournament's intense heat — these sides are defending in a mid-block. The structure offers wide, balanced cover but leaves gaps between the lines that opponents have been quick to exploit.

Diagonal play as the answer

Those gaps between the lines of a 4-4-2 have encouraged a clear tactical response: attacking diagonally. Flat defensive lines struggle to deal with runs that cut from wide areas into dangerous central zones behind the midfield.

Morocco's goal against Brazil illustrated this beautifully. Noussair Mazraoui repeatedly drove diagonal passes from wide positions into central areas, eventually threading through for the decisive moment. Brazil's midfield pairing of Casemiro and Bruno Guimaraes was repeatedly drawn toward the ball, leaving exposed space on the far side — a weakness a three-man midfield might have avoided.

Ecuador also used the diagonal principle against Ivory Coast, but in the opposite direction — moving players from central areas out to the wide channels. Piero Hincapie drifted into a holding midfield role while Pedro Vite dropped to left back. This pulled Ivory Coast's central midfielders wide, creating space for dangerous crosses and cut-backs.

The false nine remains potent

The roaming striker — or false nine — was one of the defining features of the most successful club sides this season, with Harry Kane at Bayern Munich and Ousmane Dembele at Paris Saint-Germain finding freedom by vacating the traditional centre-forward position.

On the international stage, the tactic continues to cause problems. When a striker drops deep or drifts wide, centre-backs face an uncomfortable choice: follow and leave a hole in the defence, or hold their position and concede numerical superiority in midfield. Saibari of Morocco, Kai Havertz of Germany, and Raul Jimenez of Mexico have all used this role to productive effect in the opening games.

Fluid midfields designed to draw pressure

The United States' victory over Paraguay offered perhaps the tournament's most compelling attacking performance so far. Under Mauricio Pochettino, USA built with a back three in possession — Antonee Robinson wide left, Sergino Dest wide right, and Folarin Balogun up front — but the four central players, Tyler Adams, Malik Tillman, Christian Pulisic, and Weston McKennie, moved with real freedom.

Rather than maintaining a rigid midfield box, the far-side attacking midfielder consistently moved toward the ball, creating overloads that left Paraguay's midfield unsure whether to follow. When the press arrived, USA played direct passes for runners in behind — exactly the space the defensive pressure had vacated.

South Korea deployed a comparable approach against Bosnia, congesting central areas to attract pressure before releasing runners into the channels above.

Set-pieces making their mark

Borrowing heavily from Premier League methodology, several teams have already scored from well-worked set-plays. Czech Republic converted from a long throw, Bosnia and Germany both scored from corners, and Netherlands and Tunisia added goals from follow-up crosses off set-pieces.

The variety of delivery shapes and runner patterns mirrors what top club sides have refined over recent seasons — and with less of the grabbing that referees penalise in European competition, the returns have been significant.