How the weather can shape the tactics of a football nation

How the weather can shape the tactics of a football nationImage source, Getty ImagesByUmir IrfanFootball tactics correspondentPublished4 minutes agoCommentsMuch has been made of the heat in which matches will be played at this World Cup, and that will naturally impact tactical approaches and performances on the pitch.But the effect of the weather goes beyond just conditions on matchday.Some of football's top minds - former managers Arsene Wenger and Fabio Capello, for example - have made the argument the climate of a country directly affects the type of football they play, impacting the players they develop.Weather can therefore shape football on two levels: immediately, by altering what teams are able to do during a match; and over time, by influencing how generations of players train and develop.The impact of heat on World Cup tacticsIn a 2024 study, the impact of air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed on teams' technical performances in the Champions League was assessed, with data collected over five seasons.Higher temperatures, the study found, led to fewer shots following counter-attacks, fewer completed dribbles, and an increase in shots from distance. Higher humidity was also associated with fewer completed dribbles.In the Premier League this season, there has been a rise in the use of powerful wingers capable of playing one against one as a way of breaking defensive shapes down.Looking at the England squad, that helps explain the inclusion of players such as Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka. Such wingers are also tasked with pressing intensely from the front - and it is something England boss Thomas Tuchel is likely to persist with on both fronts.But given those tactics are harder to execute in the heat, it will be interesting to see how those players cope.This season we have also seen a rise in runs from deep from full-backs to arrive in dangerous attacking positions. Think Manchester City's Nico O'...