Why World Cup transfers are problematic

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The World Cup can be like a shop window. A chance to see a snapshot of hundreds of different players in less than a month. Stars will emerge, and legends will be made. But transfers shouldn’t happen.
But why? Seb Stafford-Bloor explains why signing a player based on a World Cup performance is a bad idea. Illustrated by Marco Bevilacqua.
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#Transfers #WorldCup

[@suiixadedravtextsu9886]

I don't think James Rodriguez was that bad. He did well until Zidane came. Zidane didnt have a use for a #10. They're a dying breed. But James was pretty good

[@greenman9123]

Over rated player

[@nakdickson]

It's not Zidane fault. Man refused to evolve his game. James kind of midfielders don't work in the morden game.

[@iqgamer5085]

I agree with everyone’s comment. He refused to evolve his game

[@hsymdeen]

@@nakdickson It isn't, but it still is a shame when #10 position is a dying breed in modern football. They're the ones that produce magic and makes football more than just goals, assists, and statistics in the past.

[@kennethoginaland1255]

True

[@crockoaches]

Ozil was a succes for Madrid back in 2010. Keylor Navas in 2014 also was a good deal. Even James Rodriguez wasn't that bad when he first came to Madrid

[@masilomoshesh1475]

Navas was one of Madrids signings of the decade.

[@NostalgiNorden]

Lol. Real fans trying to cope with being terrible.

[@masilomoshesh1475]

@@NostalgiNorden How is 5 UCL titles in the last 9 years terrible dfkm😂

[@cheangizzz]

@@NostalgiNorden how is that cope? Only James wasn't a fully successful transfer. Both Ozil and Navas did amazing.

[@LeafyPeach]

@@NostalgiNorden i don't like Madrid but James wasn't all that bad.

[@TheFelipeo]

James had 17 goals and 17 assists and named la liga midfielder of the season his first season at Real Madrid

[@MrBlue11900]

@Julio tough to win back to back awards like that 😆

[@Morgan_dZG]

But on the other hand, its fair for players from Croatia, Morrocco, Japan, Senegal... to take advantage of great perfomances on the biggest stage to their leverage against millions of overhyped brazilians, english or portugal players. I agree that sample of 3-7 games is not enough to scouters and transfer policies, but World cup is a fair which "exposes" in good way your tunnel vision that great footballers can only come from the biggest football countries

[@augustusfreeman4032]

Most of those players aren't getting bought regardless, World Cup based transfers are a thing of the past to be honest.

[@atomsk1972]

@@augustusfreeman4032 I don't think that is what he is saying. He's saying that the world cup can start (not complete) that scouting process for players that otherwise might be overlooked.

[@ryryissmall302]

@@atomsk1972 But what the video states is that most big clubs with proper scouting infrastructure already have some knowledge on pretty much all players attending the World Cup. So the world cup only adds extra info to a player's profile from what's already given.

[@colouredIncognito]

Except most clubs do have wider scouting but refuse 'punts' on players that are good in limited leagues

[@dennischen5367]

The aspect for “gaining leverage” only exists for the general public I believe. Most of the players from these teams play in Europe already and the best performers should have been scouted upon

[@masilomoshesh1475]

Özil was class at Madrid and he was signed after the world cup. Its always a hit and miss with regard to these transfers but it's better to rely on overall scouting as well.

[@NostalgiNorden]

Lol. Real fans trying to cope with being terrible.

[@AbsoleteAim]

@@NostalgiNorden You're getting stale

[@lordpeterturbo5216]

@@NostalgiNorden your father and mother are related

[@shishsuke]

Just because Ozil was signed after the WC doesn't mean he was signed *because* of it

[@jdjphotographynl]

Özil however already made a name for himself in Germany before he went to Real Madrid. He may have been bought after a world cup, but almost certainly he was already scouted long before.

[@pablogallegoGNZ]

James Rodriguez was the BEST midfielder the first season at Real Madrid and had a better G/A than Ozil and Di Maria from their first season. James fell apart mentally and emotionally in his relationships with Rafa Benitez and later Zidane. But as a player James was undoubtedly a great signing.

[@LaughterCigar]

Thank you! People who label James as a total flop probably didn't see him play once for Madrid. He was really good until his relationship with Zidane broke, and even later when he was no longer a starter he would score and assist often from the bench. Talent-wise James is one of the most gifted and creative midfielders of his generation... he's just not the best player for the modern game. He's not physical or versatile enough, and his workrate and discipline are poor, but that left foot and vision is one of the best in modern football history.

[@KillaSin515]

That sounds great for other clubs but not good enough for Real Madrid.

[@goldbirdie]

@@LaughterCigar His problem is mentality, that’s what I’ve learned as a Colombian.

[@alexnaismith351]

All that money spent for one good year?

[@gerhardsmith7892]

You should really see how much Madrid paid for James, because you must think he was a free transfer if you say that James was a great signing just for a good first season which wasn't even great, and you guys are the ones who didn't even watched a single match with James if you think he was Madrid's bets midfielder, lmfao, do you guys even watch football? Are you guys from Colombia and trying to defend him? Why would anyone say something so stupid as James being Madrid's best midfielder that season?

[@5000yes1]

Is no one going to mention this brilliant moment? The rainy cloud with a pin dropped at 3:23 is over Stoke-on-Trent. A reference to the classic "but could he do it on a cold, rainy night at Stoke?"

[@afamefunevictory7749]

You DESERVE MORE LIKES

[@AntoninusTzu]

James G/A 2014: 17 Goals, 15 Assists in 47 Matches 2015: 8 Goals, 8 Assists in 33 Matches 2016: 12 Goals, 14 Assists in 39 Matches 2017 (First Bundesliga SZN): 9 Goals, 20 Assists in 47 matches I will never understand the narrative. In my opinion, Madrid got what they paid for those 3 seasons. Afterward, Bayern capitalized on what Madrid devalued with Zidane, it's a stellar few years from James post world cup. Keep an eye out for him at Olympiacos this season with 3 goals and 3 assists to his name in 9 games, some sick goals so far too.

[@fangdog29]

This has not aged well, unfortunately

[@juanmagg5909]

James was good... 100 goal involvements in 150 matches for real madrid is amazing, yeah he is not superstar, but he was great, the same when he played for Bayern. His peak was not that long, but he was a top 50~30 in the world during those 3 years

[@KillaSin515]

Nope

[@nuu_29]

​@@KillaSin515 an absolute yes

[@deqalb]

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are player who were well known how good they were in the industry but not that popular to the public prior to World Cup. Morocco's Amrabat is one of the example. Spain's coach, Luis Enrique mentioned how Amrabat along with Ziyech and Hakimi is already known but only at the World Cup the general populace outside of Serie A realised his talent.

[@yousandro1999]

i had zero knowledge about Ounahi and Boufal (both from Morocco), but after watching their great perfomances in the WC i got curious to know where do they play and i got surprised about finding they both play for Angers (France) i was like "wow Angers have this quality of players, they must be doing a Leicester in Ligue 1"... the shock i got when i saw they were in 20th LAST PLACE

[@kohikappu]

Boufal was well-known when he had played for Southampton, became their key player for one season. But after that, he just disappeared and no one never really heard about him until this World Cup.

[@AjatiMimi]

@@kohikappu Played for Celta Vigo too

[@PINGPONGBANDIT]

I think James is a great talent and super elegant player, no doubt, I think under Zidane's system though he was expected to give more to the team defensively which he never really did consistently, and this was also something he faced criticism for in AS Monaco before the world cup, then later on bis injuries REALLY ended up making his value tank and make teams really think twice before acquiring a player that can only play 2 or 3 games back to back before having to sit out the next 5 because of injuries. I'd still have him in my team though, as a last 30-45 mins player, very classy style he has

[@TBoneTony]

The Tournament players might be one hit wonders. 3 to 7 games in one country compared to 30 plus games in a season outside their own home are completely different.

[@matheus5230]

Could you make a video on Didi? One of the greatest players of all time, he was also the best player in the 1958 World Cup, being nicknamed Mr. Football by the europeans press. Real Madrid bought him for the 1959/1960 season, but Didi didn't work at Real Madrid, only staying for one season before returning to Botafogo. It's still not fully understood why a player of Didi's level didn't shine at Real Madrid. This could be a whole video.

[@TheCowardRobertFord]

Didi until the end of his life argued Did Stefano boycotted him, änd if you see any video of him talking about it it's clear he's almost certainly telling the truth

[@Tareq2001]

Remember,We also signed Toni Kroos after the world cup.He is one of the finest midfielder in the history of football.

[@juuglord8509]

Toni Kroos was already a great player at Bayern Munich.

[@kevinrod14]

BEST TEAM IN THE WORLD 🤍🤍🤍 HALAMADRID FAM!!!!!

[@Josep_Hernandez_Lujan]

He had already won everything with Bayern

[@Honorbound43]

@@Josep_Hernandez_Lujan he got even better after

[@sahildalal1368]

Toni kroos was already known to the world before worldcup

[@zoborfuture]

I don't even think there has been a standout new player at this World Cup like James was in '14. Perhaps you could interpret this to mean that the sport is becoming more and more "min-maxed" in the sense that playing styles and strategies become more uniform, more optimized. The little national team irregularities that allowed some players to shine in the past may be rarer these days.

[@blur7491]

The entire Morocco team popped off insanely, and I fear they face the same fate

[@sigfigronath]

This WC Ounahi, Amrabath and few other Morrocan players and a few gk really shined.

[@aye2you]

That's stupid. Gakpo alone is a fkn Beast.

[@YashRaj-vy6pb]

@@aye2you gakpo was tearing up the Dutch league even before the wc Even if he had a avg Wc. He would have gotten a transfer to a bigger club (no offence to psv fans )

[@Honorbound43]

Enzo Fernandez killed it. Griezman rediscovered himself and so did Joao Felix. USMNT players compared to what they are expected had standout play. Croatian CB shined. However, yes I think we have min maxed.

[@pizzaslut3818]

I would say the James Rodriguez is a bad example. His downfall didn't come at the moment of the transfer, and the reason for it's downfall have nothing to do with his abilities, but perhaps discipline, personal issues and chemistry with coaches.

[@nicolaslandgraf7317]

I will add that you usually don't get into a national team without some good club performances, I don't think any team really buys only based on the world cup performances. Also, if a player is performing well in his club even through they are just a few games for the World Cup is a good sample to see how they work in a different system and in a high pressure situation

[@Jack-ni4ft]

It's definitely more of a gamble signing players following a good world cup. Prices inflated to the maximum and player playing over their usual level. I think the January window will be quiet in the premier league.

[@Chronicthekid]

Video suggestion: Why isn’t the Mexican National team a powerhouse?

[@greenman9123]

Drugs

[@vincentbernal635]

Mexican players having very lucrative contracts at home preventing them from going to Europe. Mexico forced to play the gold cup and concacaf. Us is supposed to be their biggest rivals, which is just bad because it means Mexico is not ready for tougher competition.

[@avikarsewpersad9856]

@@greenman9123 😂

[@sw33tialucard]

@@greenman9123 come on bro 😂

[@paulheinrichdietrich9518]

lol.

[@jose72705]

James was really Good… zidane never really gave him a chance…. How could you not buy James after that world cup that Colombiano had something special i just was never allowed to come out again

[@DavidMartinez-im6ln]

I would agree, however I feel like he never succeeded enough outside RM to prove they were wrong and have them begging for him to come back. He just got lost but I think he is a good player though.

[@kingvidster5637]

I actually think World Cup transfers are amazing. Well for underrated players at least. This world cup we had Gvardiol, Bounou, Livakovic, Mac Allister, Amrabat. All of those players deserve to go to a better club.

[@solarmaru49]

Dont understand the hype on amrabat. He is volatile with possession at best, he runs hard, but hes hardly a reliable talent.

[@kingvidster5637]

@@solarmaru49 Tbh I thought he was good, but I liked some of the other players better.

[@solarmaru49]

@@kingvidster5637 exactly. People are not realizing they’re high on hype on how Morocco did. That does not guarantee or mean amrabat was any good.

[@kingvidster5637]

@@solarmaru49 Morocco has good players. Upsets require willpower and skill. You can't progress on luck. Especially that far.

[@widgetcardau218]

@@solarmaru49amrabat was literally the best and most creative defensive midfielder at the World Cup. He literally ran from the mid field to tackle mbappe (who speed is immense and had was wide open with no defenders on him) and amrabat successfully retrieved the ball for morocco from a wide open Mbappe of all people during the France and Morocco game. This was just one example their are many more of course.

[@AbdullahAli-xx4mh]

Ozil was a big success for Real Madrid, James had 17 goals and 18 assists in 46 apps in his first season at Madrid, Navas was one of the key factors Real Madrid won the 3 peat. Courtois had a rough start to his Madrid career but look where he stands now. Sure it is better to sign players after proper scouting but Real Madrid have never failed with World Cup transfers.

[@TheBINIBALL]

Wasn't there a lot of interest in Courtois prior to the 2018 World Cup? I remember him as one of the best young GKs in like 2013 and he had a great career in Chelsea hence all the interest.

[@nicholasperry4730]

Can you revisit old videos and see how they are doing now

[@erictang1812]

3:25 that's cheeky, rainy night at Stoke

[@daanfluit9257]

1:52 ah yes, Jordi Cruyff, my favourite Yugoslavian player

[@Lkadi]

his father was a great Yogusl football legend

[@hakr4751]

James was thriving under carlo ancelotti, and had his best season ever 17 hoals and 18 assits, it's just that he didn't have a place in zidand's team, as he always favored 4-3-3 with BBC upfrony, and if he played with 4-3-1-2 he prefered isco who was in his prime and on a tear, so i do feel bad for him, it just shocked me that he couldn't perform better in bayern , u really thought that woulw be where he would expload

[@Argenswiss]

I think cases like Enzo Fernández and gvardiol are different, because they have performed not only in the WC but in their club and in the case of Enzo, which I know better, every time he took a step further in his career, his performance remained unharmed

[@guilhermevelhote5307]

today was aa perfect example of how enzo ir overrated amd just being hyped up for sale by portuguese media. he crumbles under any sort of real press, he just gets offered a lot of space due to adversary incompetency, thats why je had some good matches in this yar champions league

[@Argenswiss]

@@guilhermevelhote5307 HAHHQHAHA he must have destroyed one of your clubs you smooth brain clown 😂

[@DavidMartinez-im6ln]

Enzo is too expensive. He has to be proven in the Premier League first, I think he is not gonna be bought by anyone for at least one good damn season.

[@chefchefchef]

I think the World Cup more highlights the youth that do well, the older ppl that do well may not transition over to the new clubs as well

[@PassivesAbseits]

An underrated and never talked about issue is the scattered pre-season. Let's just imagine, that this World Cup would have been played during the summer and Manchester United or City buys MacAllistar and Amrabat. 2 break out stars of the World Cup, that reached the Semis and played up until the final days. Afterward, they should get a 3- or 4-week vacation. When they finally start training, the team is probably on one of those promotion tours through Asia or the USA and more on the plane, than on the practice field. Meanwhile, they both need individual plans to get themselves into playing shape. And suddenly the season starts, while they never had a real practice with the entire team. Afterward the schedule is so narrow, that you can't really practice, but mostly recover between matches. When are MacAllistar and Amrabat supposed to learn, how to play together and with a completely new set of teammates? And just for additional pressure, everyone expects them to perform just as well, as they did in their comfort zone they had on the national team.

[@Kidrah22]

Loved the Cold rainy night in Stoke reference

[@Alex-cw3rz]

As a Bolton Wanderers fan it luckily work well for us when we bought Jay-Jay Okocha

[@brunoroedel3173]

One thing that should be accounted also is that a team "sells expectation" of success before the season. Signing a player with hype behind also serves as marketing purposes for the fans. Greeg Easterbrook, an american football (NFL) analyst, already wrote these risks & rewards about this with draft picks and players with a good stretch before hitting free agency.

[@albert3671]

James first 2 seasons with Madrid were brilliant, Zidane arriving was the reason for his falling off

[@carolmota6824]

That got me thinking, maybe the clubs know all too well the risk and they choose to sign those players for the marketing, rising attendance, shirt sales...maybe they pay themselves in a way? I'll research it

[@martytu20]

Most clubs do their homework well before the World Cup. But agents and the club the player is currently at are also smart. They can just hold off a move until after the World Cup and cash in.

[@Eibarwoman]

@@martytu20 The only player they might have missed on is the rapid improvement of Andries Noppert, but if they know anything, they know he was plagued by injuries and had a very small track record.

[@ammavanfc9983]

Cos, world cup is so much intense and pressured by whole country or more than that to play with everything. Butclub seasons are long and calm, annoyed by matches and only pressure is on last 2 months if needed. Those players in fire at Qatar may be super cool in their club career. But Cody Gakpo is gold in world cup but Diamond in club career🌝 he'll flourish in Reds🙂. Most of the Moroccan players were struggling in their respective clubs before the world cup, inspired at Qatar and may continue or found their talent within them, but what if they are not inspired at all🙂

[@A-R-17]

Imagine how much Geoff Hursts value would have increased in todays footballing world after scoring a World Cup final hat-trick

[@12thMandalorian]

£5m because he played for West Ham

[@diablejambe3460]

Did he score the one that didnt actually go in? Cuz if yes then with todays technology it would only be two goals. Still impressive, but not quite a hattrick.

[@NostalgiNorden]

Did you miss the entire video?

[@blazer7731]

@@diablejambe3460 not to mention his last goal was an accident bc apparently he was just trying to boot it in to the crowd as it was the last minute of the game and they were winning. So if it had been disallowed he might’ve only scored 1

[@MasonGreenWeed]

@@12thMandalorian 250 mil at least because he's English

[@t1lt252525]

I feel like scouting at WC or any major tournament should just be part of the transfer strategy. It’s a good space to spy a player that may have been overlooked, gauge a player’s temperament and find players that are in leagues which don’t have as much data available. A player that may be underperforming for their club and then has an amazing WC might be hinting that it’s the formation or culture of the club that’s holding them back. It’s just another tool to help find a diamond in the rough but shouldn’t be the sole reason for buying a player.

[@mrakaflame]

It's still a good method to scout players that are good for cups to win like a national cup or the champions league

[@ANGELOFDARKification]

This is why I am not fully sold on Gakpo yet as the real deal. Gvardiol and Alvarez are probably the only 2 young players I trust to continue their form at club level.

[@darreltan1694]

Gakpo didn't rise to prominence due to the World Cup but rather due his imperious form for PSV (12 goals and 9 assists).

[@kohikappu]

Gakpo is a beast at PSV though, the doubt is understandable.

[@George-jc3mt]

gakpo literally has been having a good season even in the europa

[@ANGELOFDARKification]

@@darreltan1694 Yeah and that was only 6 months ago. My point is he isn't proven and that league has been known to have some duds. Look at Ziyech, Memphis, Van der Beek etc. Antony is young so the jury is still out but he hasn't been amazing, decent enough though. Against Arsenal, Gakpo did nothing in the Europa game. Hopefully he succeeds now at Liverpool but it isn't a given.

[@midknight]

Came here for El-Hadji Diouf

[@josephweir6754]

Another factor is that at a world cup they're not up against well-drilled sides which they'd face in club football, since most national teams only have a few weeks together every year

[@kidpagronprimsank05]

Not just WC, but any international tourney, especially Euro and Copa America

[@rowanhulst7474]

We miss these type of videos

[@matthewmcneany]

nice rainy night in Stoke reference.

[@he1ar1]

Can they do it on a rainy January night in Stoke?

[@harveyepstein8256]

david villa in a sense was a wc transfer but his career ended due to injury he was very good during his first season at barca

[@PLandericus]

You could equally make a list of amazing transfers based on World Cup performance.

[@idosabamemanuel5163]

It's too small of a sample size to determined a player's quality based on games played.

[@GamingRobioto]

Yeah, that was the point of the video

[@paulpalmer6636]

I assume that rain cloud was drifting over Stoke on a Tuesday?

[@Johnny-il1bo]

James, just is good on position classic no10 , same thing with ozil but in modern football classic 10 is died

[@yk2412]

2:40 I LOOOOOVE you guys for putting the Arteta drawing there 😂

[@edenhazard2751]

only thing Farteta knows in Football.

[@Moltzenn]

We’ve found the saltiest commenter on YT.

[@fpl_cricket]

@Tifo The Dutch flag is inverted on Jordi Cruyff's player card at 1:51.

[@TheChosenFailure]

1:52 you guys flipped the Dutch flag turning it into the Yugoslav flag.

[@jdjphotographynl]

Maybe the illustrator of this video has recently been on holiday to somewhere rural here in the Netherlands, and he or she passed a lot of farms as a result... 🤷‍♂️😜

[@kidpagronprimsank05]

Or into French sideway

[@TheChosenFailure]

@@kidpagronprimsank05 yes, but it was about a Dutch player, so the former is more likely.

[@mibything7985]

James ain't that bad especially when he came to Madrid and at everton he was on fire 🔥

[@lauralikessomestuff]

motivation is high among young players who have other soccer player friends. just like any job ever.

[@lauralikessomestuff]

and it'll def be more long lasting if theyre the same nationality

[@svinasvenis]

And on the case of Kleberson, don’t forget who was playing around him: Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Kaká, Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Denilson, etc. Definitely players that will pull defenders towards them and give you more space to play or simply world class players that will make you much better…

[@PoorStretch]

Someone might be able to correct me but wasn't James already very highly thought of before the world cup? I'm not sure I'd attribute his transfer as one solely based on the world cup, although the transfer fee may have been inflated some as a result of it.

[@davidp2981]

Yup he was worth 45 million when monaco bought him. After his monaco season he was the second best player in the league who was easily worth 50 million.

[@wes426]

OK so im watching this on a Tues, I'm just wondering whether that was Stoke on the rainy map of England?

[@MrHastygamer]

Im here pre 120m Enzo Fernandez signing, for it looks like Chelsea. If you see this update me on his progress, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on their bench. 👀

[@samde9922]

I think the biggest point is that the scouting network is so broad it would be surprising that clubs hadn't heard of that player already if they're playing in a WC - an indication that they're probably overperforming at the tournament

[@TheRealRBarry]

Inter Miami beware when signing Messi.......recent form could've just been because of the World Cup

[@CrystalSauceOnEverything]

One season after joining, Ozil was part of the 2011-12 Madrid team that scored more goals than any team in La Liga history and his playmaking was crucial

[@crxiqz]

the great animations on these videos really gloss over how much dross how much dross and non substantial the content on here is

[@iwantgoals1566]

I think what the World Cup is good at showing is how players handle pressure and how strong their mentality is. Especially in the knock out rounds. Look at the difference between Kane and M’Bapaes penalties for example.

[@boib474]

James was a brilliant player for real up until zidane came in because he forced him out of the line up, but before that he was so class for them

[@highnoon7097]

I don't think it's tournament transfers, it's just big money/ high profile moves that are the issue, they seemingly fail at a rate of about 50 percent. So along with James Rodriguez, throw in Coutinho, Hazard, Lukaku, griezmann (plus pretty much every big money United signing) were all transfers that didn't work out. Darwin Nunez is probably the next name to be added to that ignominious list.

[@fangdog29]

Funny you didn't mention Gilberto Silva, joining arsenal right after the world cup. May be Wenger did his homework properly when using the international tournaments as a scouting platform

[@tanukamittra2253]

Hidetoshi Nakata from 98, Ahn Jung-hwan, Park Ji-sung of 2002 and Son Heung-Min from London 2012 Olympics were not bad breakout stars thou

[@punchdreadnought8101]

Apart from Heung-min, the rest were overrated.

[@mrlajel]

That's why MacAllister should stay in Brighton, as well as Bono in Sevilla or that Croatian goalie..

[@bobbywrtm]

Special case for Livakovic, he must go from Zagreb to taste high quality games weekly, Bono and MacAllister already done it in Premier League and La Liga

[@siimtokke3461]

You didn't mention that big teams can afford to overpay for players. They can later sell them, but what they can't afford is to lose a chance to sign players like Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappe, Haaland, etc. What is better to buy 10 or 20 young players with relatively small amounts, among them is a player who would cost 100+ million in 5 years, or not buy young players and then shell out that 100+ million. Another phenomenon is what is known in USA leagues (NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL) as "contract year". There are a lot of players who will perform at peak level when they are up for a new bigger contract, but when they get that their game will drop back to the old level. World Cup is a perfect place for players to show what they got, so they get their paycheck and go back to their old level.

[@kemonosworld4773]

A recent example of that is Cody Gakpo at Liverpool

[@tonyg-2jz82]

James was amazing at Real his first few seasons. I don't get why he got all the hate he received. Even Chicharito on loan did good that season

[@MrLorddarktoothx]

James was screwed by the management at Real Madrid. They started with Carlo Ancelotti, who likes James and actually knew how to use him. Carlo is also the reason James would eventually go to Everton and leave Real Madrid. But Carlo was the only one who has believed in James. Next year in 2015 though, Carlo leaves and in comes Rafa Benitez ... public enemy number 1. That guy HATES James from the start and starts heavy benching him. James grows more upset and frustrated and lashes out by being more unprofessional and slacking. Rafa does such a terrible job at RM that he leaves after only 1/2 year, however the damage is done to James. In comes Zinidane who picks up right where Rafa left off and James never really recovered.

[@shaheemjackson283]

2:29: Antoine Griezmann summed up to a tee

[@shottskies]

A lot of fair points here but there probably is still something to be said for world cup transfers. The WC is still a stage where lower profile players can in fact prove that they can compete with or even be better than higher profile counterparts. Yes it's a small sample size but even three or four games can show that a relative unknown has what it takes to compete in a big four league. Or even could compete at a top club. For a guy like Ziyech he was able to show his real worth in this WC. Unfortunately for him he's rotting away on the bench of a PL club

[@Abuqital2000]

Just look at Messi he was a monster for Barcelona but barely scraped a single world cup for his team in internationals.

[@mkng2k]

The cold Tuesday night in Stoke remains the ultimate testing ground for any players

[@mcks-rb3166]

Spotted this snuck in here. Truly the indigo league of professional football.

[@rares992]

we want a video about Scaloni's Argentina!

[@aleex0792]

So you mean to tell me that after clubs see a player perform well at a World Cup/euros they don’t study and look at previous club football performance?

[@bielin3348]

Very often well prepared transfers are failing due to misperformance. Name Hazard for example or Coutinho. It's sometimes hit/miss situation.

[@deshortyprince10]

I'm tired of seeing people say James is overrated or was a bad buy, he didn't evolve but injuries and being out of favor didn't help either. When given the chance he almost always performed in every club

[@jazzinho_futebol]

I doubt...until the world cup, no one really knew about Amrabaat and Ounahi now Liverpool and Barca are interested in them. Sometimes football is about what you see😅cause you get guys like Maguire who is actually good but United hinder that performance, same case with Pogba

[@sanket.hande9]

I feel United are graveyard for youngsters and other system player. Look at Sancho he was good at BVB

[@Darwinek]

Thank you, Tifo for this video. I wish our football commentators watch this before they say stupid things at every World Cup, like "he's having a great tournament, big clubs will fight to get him".

[@TheModeler99]

I have started to prefer American commentary after the WC. Both commentators speak equally and dwell more on the tactics of the live game. Unlike British where you have 1 commentator and a reaction man, and they waste time repeating stats that have no bearing on the current game

[@ItsYuhBoyyyy]

They're not saying stupid things because that's exactly what happens. You should be more upset with the clubs😐

[@CezrDaPleazr]

Can anyone name players that actually outperformed when they were brought into a team due to their performance in a world cup?

[@reun1clus]

I'm not sure but I knew James when he moved from Porto to Monaco and saw him play on the right wing pretty well... I thought he was finally showing to the world during the 2014 world cup... it's a shame that he became mediocre after his first season there... I genuinely think Real Madrid had scouted his background at Monaco or even Porto and not bought him on a whim just because of his world cup performance...

[@kohikappu]

Mediocre? He became the best in terms of G/A average akin to Ozil, Kroos, or even Modric.

[@ButcherOfBeek]

The dutch flag at the jordi Cruijff part is upside down.

[@ChrisSmith74627]

Keylor Navas was a great signing after performances for Costa Rica in 2014

[@ivaneurope]

IMO international football is a different beast in general, compared to club football and for many players representing your nation at an important tournament such as the World Cup has far greater value than playing for your club.

[@gabrielguerrero4727]

perfect example: memo ochoa

[@brrrrrtenjoyer]

@@gabrielguerrero4727 And Maguire

[@kohikappu]

@@brrrrrtenjoyer Also Giroud.

[@brrrrrtenjoyer]

@@kohikappu Giroud is good for Milan

[@kohikappu]

@@brrrrrtenjoyer Yeah, but he became world-class with France. I mean, sure, he is decent but his performance at this WC was on another level.

[@AbbasAdejonwo]

If I hadn't submitted by dissertation proposal a couple of months ago, this would have been my topic

[@setelanchannel]

World Cup is like Bazaar. Its entertaining and illuminating, but you focused only to what the merchant sells. Usually the ingredient is cheaper while the price go up. But sometimes the price is correct, the merchant only use Bazaar as advertisement

[@cryptocsguy9282]

Remember when Denis Cheryshev scored 4 goals at the 2018 WC but he struggles to score 4 goals in a 30 game season :( He was terrible as real Madrid, when he moved to Valencia after the 2018 WC he again barely managed 4 goals in more than 30 games across the whole season smh 😐

[@1bert719]

Arsenal's signing of John Jensen clearly illustrates the small sample size and pre internet scouting. Jensen was signed as a Bryan Robson type midfielder based on the goal he scored in the euro 92 final. Arsenal quickly discovered that this was a fluke not his normal game. Decent midfielder with unrealistic expectations placed upon him.

[@nephilimdj]

Arsenal examples were weird considering Andrey Arshavin had a few good seasons for his 22mil cost

[@TacticalManager]

i disagree with your take on James Rodriguez. That was also a marketing move, James IG followers and pretty much his popularity sky rocketed and became a Global Icon during the world cup. Not only because he has an amazing world cup pefromance, but also because of his profile (Hyped young South American talent, marketing potential based on his physical apperance, and to grow Resal Madrid following/ populairty count during the world cup). Also, lets be honest, he was an exeptional player at his time at Porto, Monca and performed even better for the colombian nationa team. He declined because he's style of play and position does not trive under the new modern game. James is a tradition south american 10 and to be honst, the 10 position is dead as of now. He also was not the most consistent player under club football. He needed the team to cater for him so he can shine. Anyway, he was world class only for 1-2 seasons when drasticallly decline. Bueatiful but sad story

[@freddo9800]

One thing World Cup's show is how players handle pressure.

[@jakelfc3472]

The world cup strikes me as very much "on the day" should be good for cup matches (or it used to be like that). If world cups weren't abroad from European countries then the weather obviously matter in how well a player would adapt to a colder climate.

[@generaloberstmoon9876]

James was absolute bomb on the 1st season. After ancelotti left, during zidane's tenure everything collapsed, because zidane had not utilized his strengths

[@augustopoliche8908]

My favorite type of transfer. Cody Gakpo sold himself this world cup.

[@cherrycolouredshades]

world cup isn't just another series of games... maybe it is with regard to the justification of transfers but the world cup is still the most inspiring and passionate football event; it will forever be more beautiful than club football

[@fjwillemsen97]

You drew the Dutch flag upside down at the Jordi Cruijff card 🇳🇱