Return of the 10, mid-blocks and 'finishers' - five World Cup tactical trends to look out for

Much has been made about the limited preparation time, player fatigue and the physiological impacts of playing and training conditions in the heat of the Middle East — but what does all this mean tactically?

Denmark's midfielder Christian Eriksen  Photo by NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty Images

The reinvention and rise again of the No 10

In 2019, Juan Mata told The Athletic that the No 10 role was “maybe not extinct, but not as used as before”.