Every soccer fan has a favorite World Cup team. Mine might surprise you.

In this episode I am revealing my favorite soccer nation at the 2026 World Cup — the Netherlands — and going deep on the philosophy that made me fall in love with them in the first place.

We are talking about Johan Cruyff. 1974. Total Football. The most revolutionary system the sport has ever seen — played by a team that should have won it all and came up just short in the final.

Cruyff never got his World Cup trophy. And as a student of this game that still bothers me. Because what he showed the world in 1974 was pure genius. Every player in every position. Fluid, intelligent, creative soccer that nobody had ever seen before and nobody has fully replicated since.

But here is what is remarkable — that philosophy did not die with that loss. It went on to influence every great coach that came after. Guardiola. Klopp. The entire Barcelona dynasty. All of it has DNA from what Cruyff built with the Netherlands.

As a youth soccer coach and GSI founder Total Football speaks to me on every level. Intelligence over athleticism. Creativity over rigidity. Collective effort over individual glory. That is what I try to build in my players every single day.

Today the Netherlands does not dominate the way they used to. The world has caught up and Week 1 of this World Cup already proved it. But that DNA is still there. That identity is still alive.

Their only World Cup final appearance ended in a loss to Spain in 2010. Still waiting on that trophy.

Maybe 2026 is the year.

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The 2026 World Cup is only one week old and it's already rewriting the script.

In this episode, I'm breaking down my Top 5 performances from Week 1 — and trust me, the scoreboard told some stories nobody saw coming.

Cape Verde held Spain to a 0-0 draw. In their World Cup debut. A team nobody gave a chance, on the biggest stage in the world, against one of the tournament favorites.

Qatar tied Switzerland. Morocco went toe to toe with Brazil and looked like equals. South Korea handled a solid Czech side. And the USA came out swinging — 4-1 over Paraguay in front of a packed house in Los Angeles.

These aren't just soccer results. These are life lessons.

As a youth soccer coach and GSI founder, I see this every single week on the training field — the underdog who shows up prepared, disciplined, and completely committed will always surprise you. This World Cup is proving that on a global scale.

The gap between the big nations and the rest of the world is closing. And Week 1 just proved it.

Whether you're a die-hard soccer fan, a parent of a young athlete, or someone who just loves a great underdog story — this episode is for you.

Subscribe to Built Not Born — The GSI Gunners Podcast for weekly World Cup breakdowns, soccer development insights, and real talk from the field.

New episodes every week. Let's go. ⚽🔥

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is making history in 5 ways that have never happened before — 3 host countries, 48 teams, a Round of 32, new tiebreakers, and America hosting for the first time since 1994.