The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ is nearly upon us and whether you’re watching it on a big screen or competing to become world champions, now is the time to explore the most effective ways to get your head in the game.
On the pitch, players will be focusing on keeping their teams in the tournament for as long as possible, while off it fans will be making plans for a distraction-free experience that keeps them in the moment, from choosing the perfect venue to getting their match-day outfit spot on how to style for a football game. But generational football tournaments like the FIFA Women's World Cup™ don’t come around too often in the lifetime of a player or fan, so we asked someone who has already reached the pinnacle of world football for some pointers on how to get the most out of the experience.
Manchester City and Argentina forward Julián Álvarez won the FIFA World Cup™ in December 2022 so he knows a thing or two about what it takes to get in the zone – and how to stay there.
Find your pre-match focus
Drinking maté on the team bus, eating a bowl of their favourite childhood cereal, tying and untying their bootlaces, or doing a hop, skip and a jump over the touchline. Over time, many football players develop their own pre-match rituals and routines to help them zoom in their focus and get in the zone. Fans, too, will walk particular routes to the stadium, sit in the same armchairs, or wear the same outfits, partly to block out unwanted thoughts, but also in the name of superstition.
Others, like Argentina’s FIFA World Cup™ winner Julián Álvarez, simply find their focus by going over (and over) their match plan, and thinking positive thoughts.
“I don't have any rituals before matches,” he explains, “I just try to concentrate on what I have to do in the match to help my team. I try to visualise situations that may occur in the match, and think of positive ways to deal with them.”
The solution to finding your pre-match focus ahead of this summer’s FIFA Women's World Cup™? Do whatever you need to.
Harness your nervous energy
Big moments – whether in football matches or our everyday lives – make us nervous. It’s all part of the game, and no one is immune from the feeling. Fans biting their nails, perched on the edge of their seats as they watch their team walk on to the pitch, or a player that’s about to take a crucial penalty; we’re all in the same boat. Sweaty palms, dry mouths, jelly legs.
The key to turning this nervous energy into a match-winning display or a thrilling spectator experience is to grab hold of that feeling, harness it, and let it power you through all the drama and tension. Which there is sure to be plenty of at this year’s FIFA Women's World Cup™.
As Julián Álvarez explains, tapping into big-game nerves has always worked for him – and remember, he’s a FIFA World Cup™ winner. “I always have nerves before a game, it’s natural,” he says. “It's part of the sport and you have to accept it, because they are nerves in a good way, and you have to enjoy it. It’s a beautiful feeling.”
Enjoy every single moment
Players and fans alike can plot their lives via the successes, near misses and blockbuster drama of major football tournaments. The biggest moments become “where were you when…?” conversation starters, while the regrets make players and fans even hungrier for the next tournament. But these big moments can pass in the blink of an eye, so you need to stay in the moment, focus locked.
For Julián Álvarez, every stage of his journey has become a cherished moment; a long list of iconic memories to be played over and over. And he’s got quite a few to choose from.
“I could pick so many, because every step I’ve taken in my career has been very significant,” he says, when asked to pick a memory that stands out. “But if I have to choose one, I would obviously go for the FIFA World Cup™, because of what it means to represent your country in the most important sporting competition in the world.”
Start filling up your own football memory bank this summer.
Women’s football is the future
For many fans, women’s football has revitalised their experience of the game. It has brought new people on to the pitch and into the stands, and opened up discussions around fairness, equality and diversity. The standard of play – at grassroots, national league or major tournament level – is on a sky-rocketing trajectory, with match-day attendances surging and players becoming household names. And it’s not a moment too soon.
This latest FIFA Women's World Cup 2023™ is set to take things to the next level, so if you haven’t experienced the women’s game before, now is the time. You won’t regret it. Just listen to Julián Álvarez’s. “It has evolved a lot recently, taking giant steps,” he says, “and it will continue growing and developing until it reaches a stratospheric level.”
Ready for kick-off?
So there you have it, from someone who has already won a FIFA World Cup™ final. Find your pre-match focus, pick the right match-day outfit, harness your nervous energy, and enjoy every single moment. Stick to that plan, and you’ll be in the moment for this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup™