Group to be led by FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger
Team of experts to share in-depth insights from across all 63 tournament matches
Panel is responsible for selecting winners of FIFA awards
FIFA today unveiled the Technical Study Group (TSG) that will provide cutting-edge analysis of all matches across the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ while increasing and developing understanding of the game worldwide.
Led by FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger, the TSG line-up features Esteban Cambiasso (Argentina), Aliou Cissé (Senegal), Tobin Heath (USA), Jürgen Klinsmann (Germany), Roberto Martínez (Spain), Gilberto Silva (Brazil) and Pascal Zuberbühler (Switzerland).
The role of the FIFA TSG - an expert panel comprising national-team coaches and former players - is to observe matches, pinpoint tactical trends and innovations, and illustrate them using insights and data provided by the FIFA Football Performance Insights team.
The trends that it identifies are published on the FIFA Training Centre , where they are accessible to all free of charge. In addition, the TSG is responsible for selecting individual award winners and the team awarded the fair play prize at FIFA tournaments.
The TSG members' expertise enables them to highlight and analyse the technical trends encountered at a tournament with great accuracy.
Besides analysing the on-pitch action, the TSG studies trends and benchmarks for the future of the game and their impact on coach education and talent development. The group poses questions such as: how is football evolving? What are the trends moving forward? What are the key elements involved in the game? Statistical analysis enables teams to delve deeper into what they see with their eyes alone and backs up those impressions with metrics and numbers to help them to analyse the opposition and themselves.
"We have brought together a group of experts from diverse cultures and various places in the world who have great experience and real expertise," said Wenger. "We want to describe, analyse and interpret what is happening on the pitch with a view to inspiring technical experts and football fans in general. We will not only be collecting more data than before, but we will also be aiming to strike the right balance between technical expertise and data. We are looking to inform people about the FIFA Club World Cup technical observations directly and during the tournament itself, not months later."
The TSG line-up
Arsène Wenger After calling time on a highly distinguished coaching career that included spells at Monaco and Arsenal, Wenger has served as FIFA Chief of Global Football Development since 2019. He is widely recognised as one of the game's greatest thinkers.
Esteban Cambiasso Capped 52 times by Argentina, former midfield linchpin Cambiasso enjoyed a glittering career that included a particularly successful spell at Inter Milan, where he tasted Serie A glory five times and was a member of the club's 2009-10 UEFA Champions League-winning squad.
Aliou Cissé During his time in charge of the Senegalese national team, Cissé oversaw a triumphant CAF Africa Cup of Nations campaign in 2022 before guiding his nation to the last 16 at the FIFA World Cup 2022™. He is currently coach of the Libyan national team.
Tobin Heath US national-team superstar Heath has twice lifted the FIFA Women's World Cup™ (in 2015 and 2019) and was a runner-up at the 2011 edition of the global showpiece. The attacking ace was part of the Stars and Stripes side that garnered gold at the 2008 and 2012 editions of the Women's Olympic Football Tournament.
Jürgen Klinsmann During his playing days, the former frontman fired West Germany to FIFA World Cup™ glory in 1990. He later coached hosts Germany to a third-place finish at the 2006 edition of the global extravaganza.
Roberto Martínez Spanish tactician Martínez heads into the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ fresh from having steered Portugal to the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League crown. During his spell in charge of the Belgian national team, he led the Red Devils to the final podium place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup™.
Gilberto Silva Former Brazilian national-team anchorman Gilberto Silva was part of the Seleção squad that reigned supreme at the 2002 FIFA World Cup™, and he was a winner at the FIFA Confederations Cup Germany 2005. His club career featured a standout spell at Arsenal, where he was a member of the Invincibles team led by Arsène Wenger.
Pascal Zuberbühler Former goalkeeper Zuberbühlerwas capped 51 times by Switzerland. He currently serves as FIFA Senior Football Expert.
The TSG's findings are published on the FIFA Training Centre , an innovative platform that is available to players and coaches worldwide. The platform features insightful resources and illustrates FIFA's commitment to harnessing technology for the benefit of the global game.
