Antonio Conte praises Italy's World Cup feat and urges flexible tactics

Antonio Conte said Italy has achieved “a reverse feat by skipping three World Cups in a row,” praising Lionel Messi’s extraordinary form, Harry Kane’s versatility and Lautaro Martínez’s impact. He highlighted three players who impressed him at the tournament: Hassan of Egypt, Bouaddi of Morocco and Oulai of Ivory Coast.

Conte also argued that traditional formations are obsolete. He noted that high‑pressing will be used selectively – for example, less in hot conditions at the World Cup – and emphasized a man‑to‑man approach. He described modern systems as fluid, citing possibilities such as 3‑2‑5 or 2‑3‑5 in attack and 4‑4‑2 or 5‑4‑1 in defence, stressing the need to anticipate opponent moves.