Attributes that define each nation's footballers the best

The highlight of the beautiful game lies in the fact that it has players from a vast number of countries. And each nation is unique in the sense that it brings in a philosophy and a style that might be different from the others.Be it physical, attack minded, defensive, organized, individual flair or any other traits, there is something different in a player from each country. And with players playing in leagues spread across the world, the life of coaches has become harder in getting the best out of them for, ultimately, the club’s benefit. Here, we look at the dominant nations in world football today and the kind of footballers they typically produce.

#1 Netherlands

Footballing philosophy: Total Football, fast-paced and attack-oriented

Greatest Dutch players: Johan Cruyff, Frank Rijkaard, Ronald Koeman, Dennis Bergkamp, Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten

No other national team has had as much influence on the game as the Dutch team has. Renowned for producing attack-minded, positive and world class players, the Oranje are responsible for revolutionizing the game with the advent of Total Football that was deployed in the 1970s.

The greatest team to have never won a World Cup, the Oranje have had tremendous success on the international stage. Probably the greatest gift to the game, Total Football focuses on the ability of a player to play in all positions, and the system’s success relies on the adaptability of each player to different positions.

Typically lining up in the famous 4-3-3 formation, the players are able to organize, attack, create chances and utilize the spaces on the pitch to stretch and confound opposition defenses.

The last decade has seen the gradual decline of the system with the onus more on attacking flair and organized defense. Dutch players have become specialists in these past few years with players like Robben and Sneijder excelling in the midfield. 

However, there still exist players who epitomize the Total Football style. A noteworthy example is Mr. Duracell – Dirk Kuyt who gave a throwback to the 70s with his ability to play in different positions from defense to attack during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.