Europe-led powerhouse, the strongest in history? NO! "Not modern football; no strength to compete," Wenger delivers 'shockwave' after Asia's 16th-round annihilation

*This content was translated by AI.

World-renowned master Arsène Wenger (77), former Arsenal manager, coldly diagnosed the reasons for the poor performance of all Asian nations that failed to reach the round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup.

Currently serving as FIFA's Global Technical Director, Wenger pointed out on the 9th (local time) via British 'Sky Sports' that "Asian teams could not match the intensity and tempo required by modern football in this tournament" and added that "they lacked sufficient strength to compete with teams from other continents, not only in technique but also in speed."

Among the nine AFC member nations that participated in this tournament, none reached the round of 16. Only Japan and Australia advanced past the group stage, yet both were eliminated in the round of 32, losing to Brazil (1-2) and Egypt (2-4 via penalty shootout), respectively.

Although a surge by Asian nations such as South Korea, centered on European-based players, and Japan, which performed well in A-matches, was anticipated, they ultimately failed to overcome the gap in strength between continents and were eliminated early.

Wenger selected his home country France as the tournament winner. He stated, "It is not just because I am French; it is the result of an objective analysis of the level of all participating nations," and added that "competing teams found it difficult to handle the speed and momentum of France, led by Kylian Mbappé."

He identified Spain as the sole rival capable of halting France's dominance. Dismissing England and Argentina as potential champions, Wenger predicted that "only Spain possesses the organizational strength and tactical maturity that no other team in the world currently has to defeat France today." He further noted, "Spain leads in technical aspects, but France holds an advantage in physicality."

In fact, France crushed Morocco 2-0 in the quarterfinals, becoming the first team to secure a spot in the semifinals. With France advancing to the semifinals, the likelihood of facing Spain, led by Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal, has increased significantly. Ultimately, maintaining physical condition during upcoming matches and having a deep squad will determine the championship outcome.

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*This content was translated by AI.