The Athletic, Mauricio Pochettino, USMNT
10 June 2026
The Athletic broke down the main football formations expected to shape the World Cup, including 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, 3-5-2 and 4-4-2. Six broad systems have dominated recent club football across Europe’s top leagues at this tournament.
The explainer links each structure to tactical trade-offs around pressing, midfield control, width and attacking balance. It also notes how coaches such as Mauricio Pochettino use shape flexibility to adjust roles for players like Christian Pulisic.