FIFA and other football organizations excel at lobbying. To boost publicity, they emphasize that stars are the essence of the game—and they assert that such players are essential for winning trophies.
But don’t be fooled—this is pure marketing, which I also call ‘the big Football lie’.
Obviously, players have diverse skills and capacities, and it’s great to have incredible ones by your side, but it takes partnership to thrive. Add any top player to a lousy team, and you will see him/her drowning against a mediocre collective squad.
It reminds me of a Frenchman I used to play with in Milan. Despite being fast and skilled, he could not pass the ball at all. He played an individual sport inside a football practice. For a few games, he did well and drew attention, but once folks figured out how to block him, he just melted down. Because passing was only a last resort, his few passes were poor and generally sparked counterattacks. In the end, nobody wanted him on the squad, and we would sadly laugh at the thought of getting him on our side in a draw.
Strikingly, what he judged would make him great was actually what made him terrible. His inability to associate made him more of a disruption than a valuable team member.
While commercials promote the star, the pitch tells the truth—you rise together or sink alone: Associate or die.
Interested in my take on the 2026 World Cup Final? I wrote a brief review related to this very same article. Take a look here.
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