There are few football stars more associated with the FIFA World Cup™ than Jurgen Klinsmann.
The legendary striker took part in three tournaments as a player, helping West Germany win the title at Italy 1990 and . He also participated in two further finals as a coach, firstly leading Germany to the semi-finals on home soil in 2006 before guiding USA to the Round of 16 at Brazil 2014.
Klinsmann is currently involved in a second successive World Cup (TSG), whose aim is to provide cutting-edge analysis of all matches at the competition while increasing and developing the understanding of the game across the world.
Other members of the group, which is led by Arsene Wenger and Pascal Zuberbuhler, include Otto Addo, Tobin Heath, Jayne Ludlow, Michael O’Neill, Gilberto Silva, Jon Dahl Tomasson, Paulo Wanchope, Aron Winter and Pablo Zabaleta.
In his role on the TSG, Klinsmann provided FIFA with a fascinating insight into his observations on the maiden 48-team global showpiece.
Jurgen Klinsmann: We've seen a lot of wonderful surprises in the tournament because of the fact that 48 teams participated [so] you have a couple of more outsiders than you usually have in a World Cup and they did well. and so you had teams that hurt the big ones. The tournament has been fantastic so far in terms of audience - all the stadiums are sold out, the atmosphere is brilliant, fans are celebrating everywhere in every city in the US and outside the US.
It helps a lot in a tournament of this magnitude that the host nations have gone far. They fact that they have all got to the knockout stage is huge. It's been a huge success on and off the field and I think all the fans that have come from abroad are super positive about what they have experienced and what they have seen.
It shows that the qualifying campaigns are highly competitive and that they are there for a reason and they deserve to qualify for the World Cup. If you come through a region like Africa you have to be a good team, there is no doubt. They bring so much joy to the tournament and so many surprising moments, they played fantastic football and that is part of the story of the World Cup. At the end of the day, when you get to the quarter-finals you will get the usual picks, maybe there is one surprising team that you don't have on your plate but it's fantastic to have these stories happening in a World Cup and it gives the tournament an additional spice to it.
They are nations that will grow into powerhouses, that have the potential to grow into teams that you will see at the end of the road after 15-20 years in the top 10 in the world. Egypt has always enjoyed a lot of respect from everybody in the world. They haven't shown it yet in a World Cup, going to a semi-final like Morocco did [at Qatar 2022]. But obviously in the African Cup of Nations they are always there in the final four and they have top-class players in the European leagues, which means a lot.
With Norway, we see a country grow into a role now that has a bit of similarity to Croatia in the 1990s. They have so much drive, talent and quality that they are capable of the next 10-15 years to grow into a global powerhouse like Croatia is today. I see similarities to that Norway team now because it's not just [Erling] Haaland or [Martin] Odegaard, it's so much more. They have so much depth and a country that is very driven so they have a mentality that is very positive for the development of top athletes. You see it in the Olympic-driven sports as well, where Norway is among the best.
It's fantastic and fascinating to see these athletes understanding that they can prolong their careers with a specific lifestyle and a dedication to their profession into a fourth, fifth or sixth World Cup. [Playing in] your early forties, nobody would have thought that 20 or 30 years ago. Now you see it in all sorts of sports, not only football. For me, it inspires a lot of younger athletes and kids that you can have a 20-plus year career if you are looking after yourself. The dedication and focus that they have is admirable.
In this tournament you have the experienced generation like [Luka] Modric, [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Lionel] Messi and [Manuel] Neuer and these guys. Then you have youngsters emerging like Lamine Yamal or Jude Bellingham who still fairly young and now they have someone to look up to. If am Florian Wirtz and see Messi and Ronaldo at the moment I still have 15-18 years ahead of me if I look after myself and hopefully not get badly injured. It is a great orientation for the younger generation.
Sources: FIFA Official
