Fifa’s 5 Mantras

Lessons for the world, including countries & corporations, from football’s greatest show

The World Cup, unsurprisingly, has been a month of joyous football mania. It once again showed the power of football to unite people. That the World Cup remains the most successful sporting event is because it follows five golden mantras that are key to success in any field for any country or corporation. 

Talent | The most important element that makes the World Cup such a great hit is its ruthless focus on talent. It simply doesn’t matter where a player is from. If he is talented, football’s talent-spotting will find him, and the World Cup will provide him with the greatest sporting platform. This World Cup has had its fair share of breakout stars, be it Vozinha from tiny Cape Verde or Morocco’s Ayyoub Bouaddi. It proved that magic can happen if talent is given ample opportunity. 

Fluid nationality | As large parts of the world take a rightward political turn, and immigration barriers go up, nationality is being defined in rigid terms. Except in football. In 2021, Fifa introduced a new rule that allowed players who had even played up to three senior international caps prior to the age of 21, to switch nations. For example, Cape Verde scouted players based in other countries through LinkedIn. It made this World Cup truly exciting. Similarly, research has long shown immigrants add to a country’s economic strength and vibrancy – in US, in Florida alone, immigrants contributed $50bn in taxes in 2023. Smells like success. 

Trust people | A high point of this World Cup has been the fantastic legions of fans. From the Scottish Tartan Army to even the infamous English supporters, they all got along, making this tournament truly memorable. Lesson: Trust people and bring them together. They will surprise you. 

Good rules | You can be Argentina or Curaçao, football provides the same rules and playing conditions for everyone, allowing the sport to elicit greater support. As the global geopolitical scenario becomes fraught with larger countries wanting to rewrite global rules, this is a lesson countries ought to take to heart. Adhering to common rules is the only way to spread success. 

Leadership | Finally, every team that has done well in this tournament has had capable leadership – both players and coaches. Messi and Scaloni for Argentina or Rodri and Luis de la Fuente for Spain, leadership is the secret sauce for keeping teams functioning at 100%, and withstanding pressure. Good leadership, for govts, corporations, social organisations, etc, is often the difference between being ordinary and special. And football amplifies this more than anything else.

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