Elite European soccer in 2026 feels decidedly different from what we've become used to. Over the past couple of seasons, the Premier League has been increasingly characterized by direct attacking, set pieces and long throw-ins. Many encounters between big clubs across Europe have become frenetic, end-to-end affairs, such as the Bayern Munich-Paris Saint-Germain semifinals in last season's UEFA Champions League.
A lot of the changes seem related to how teams play without the ball. The soccer we became accustomed to throughout the 2010s involved top sides trying to push their opponents back while keeping the ball. Once the ball reached the attacking third, they tried to outnumber defenders in key spaces and make use of their attacking talent.
One way for defensive sides to counter this approach is to use zonal marking, which involves defending space rather than individual players. They would set up in compact blocks and deny space in critical areas, whether they defended deep like Max Allegri's Juventus in the 2010s or pressed high like teams coached by Ralf Rangnick's disciples. While this tactic helps protect the areas closer to goal and prevent mismatches, it sometimes plays into the hands of those high-possession sides.