Before turning 20, Esteban Cambiasso already had an impressive footballing resume. It all began at Argentinos Juniors, a hotbed for fledgling Argentinian starlets, where he followed in the footsteps of fellow left-footed players Diego Maradona and Fernando Redondo.
In 1996, Cambiasso left for Real Madrid C. F., where he played for the B team and started to adjust to the European tempo. Early successes included victory in the FIFA U-20 World Cup™ in 1997 with an Argentina side led by Jose Pekerman, who is widely regarded as a mentor to a crop of youngsters who went on to have sterling careers and shape Argentinian football on and off the pitch, including the likes of Lionel Scaloni, Pablo Aimar, Walter Samuel and Juan Roman Riquelme.
As the years passed by, Cambiasso would more than live up to that early promise. He was a legend at FC Internazionale Milano, one of the participating teams at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, as well as a mainstay at international level for many years, including at the 2006 FIFA World Cup™.
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Cambiasso is currently serving as a member of the FIFA Club World Cup Technical Study Group (TSG), which delivers expert analysis on every match at the tournament to enhance global understanding of the beautiful game. Headed up by Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, the group also features Aliou Cisse (Senegal), Tobin Heath (USA), Jurgen Klinsmann (Germany), Roberto Martinez (Spain), Gilberto Silva (Brazil) and TSG lead Pascal Zuberbuhler (Switzerland).
In an interview with FIFA, the Argentinian lifted the lid on various aspects of the game at the Club World Cup, including which trends have caught his eye at the tournament.
“We’re analysing so many matches all the time, and the TSG’s aim is to see things from a coach’s perspective, so the analysis must be comprehensive, on a technical and tactical level, with a logical connection to the physical and emotional dimensions of the game,” said Cambiasso.
“While some teams headed into the tournament at the end of their domestic campaign and others were halfway through, it’s been wonderful to see how well they’ve all competed. Some have had to adapt more than others. At this sort of tournament, sometimes the most difficult aspect is that you might arrive as the best team in your country or even on your continent, which means you’re used to playing on the front foot because you’re usually the strongest side.
“But here you face clubs from other confederations, especially Europe, that operate at a higher level, often due to financial muscle and access to the best players. You have to adapt your approach accordingly and set up in a way that you haven’t done all season. Those who have managed to do this well have been the most competitive.”
One team that has gone through an evolution of their own is Real Madrid. The departure of Carlo Ancelotti resulted in the arrival of new head coach Xabi Alonso, who has implemented a high press into Los Blancos.
Cambiasso was also quick to praise the movement seen from Paris Saint-Germain throughout their campaign in the USA, marveling at how their outfield players are able to stay on the same page.
“Paris Saint-Germain, who have enjoyed incredible success this year and are possibly the in-form team at the moment, have midfielders who constantly rotate,” said Cambiasso. “One drops deep to start a move, so the others push forward to take up number 10 positions. In terms of their quality, it’s hard to rank them because they’re all hugely talented.”
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The performances of various individual players have also grabbed Cambiasso’s attention. Look no further than Juventus FC dangerman Kenan Yildiz and the positions taken up by the Turkish midfielder for the Italian club.
Another is Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy, whose intelligence and clever ploys to unlock space while going forward helped pave the way for the German side to reach the final eight of the tournament.
Also drawing rave reviews is PSG midfielder Vitinha. The Argentinian gushes with enthusiasm when talking about the Portuguese player’s ability to drive forward at incredible speed to create scoring chances for his side.
“I think Vitinha is the perfect fit for PSG,” said Cambiasso. “Of course, it’s a different way of interpreting the role, which teaches us that one method isn’t necessarily better or worse than the other. [Sergio] Busquets does it with structure and control, while Vitinha does it with rotation and mobility.
“What matters is knowing your role within the team at all times and, above all, for your team-mates to know what to do when such a player is operating on their side of the pitch,” added Cambiasso. “That’s essential. It was rare to see Busquets pushing up at Barcelona while a centre midfielder dropped deep, but by the same token, they’d scarcely get caught out of position. It’s a similar story at PSG, although sometimes the deepest player is Fabian Ruiz while Vitinha pushes up. Their positioning is always spot on.”
