Aliou Cissé, the former head coach of Senegal’s national football team, has been appointed by FIFA to join its Technical Study Group (TSG) for the upcoming 2025 Club World Cup in the United States.
The appointment, confirmed on Wednesday, places Cissé alongside a panel of prominent football minds tasked with analysing the tournament’s tactical and technical dynamics.
The group will work under the leadership of Arsène Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, and includes renowned figures such as Esteban Cambiasso (Argentina), Tobin Heath (USA), Jürgen Klinsmann (Germany), Roberto Martínez (Spain), Gilberto Silva (Brazil), and Pascal Zuberbühler (Switzerland).
Cissé’s inclusion in this elite panel follows an eight-year tenure as coach of the Lions of Teranga, during which he earned widespread acclaim. Under his guidance, Senegal reached the knockout stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and secured their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations title earlier that same year. His contributions to African football have since been recognised on an international scale, culminating in his selection for this prestigious role.
FIFA’s Technical Study Group will oversee all 63 matches of the expanded Club World Cup, employing both in-depth video analysis and advanced statistical tools to track tactical trends and performance indicators.
The insights gathered will be published on the FIFA Training Centre, an open-access platform designed to enhance knowledge-sharing among coaches, analysts, and football professionals around the world.
Beyond providing technical evaluations, the TSG will also be responsible for choosing the tournament’s individual award winners, including the best player, best goalkeeper, and fair play honours.
Currently serving as the national team coach of Libya, Cissé continues to contribute to African football development. His role in the FIFA panel underscores his rising prominence on the global stage and further solidifies his status as one of Africa’s most respected football tacticians.
FIFA has increasingly prioritised the inclusion of diverse perspectives within its technical advisory groups, and Cissé’s appointment reflects a broader commitment to showcasing African expertise.
His deep understanding of both African and global football, coupled with his recent transition to a new managerial role, offers a unique vantage point that is expected to enrich the group’s overall analysis.
The 2025 Club World Cup, set to feature an expanded format with 32 teams, will be held in the United States and promises to be one of the most comprehensive tournaments ever staged at the club level.
FIFA hopes the Technical Study Group’s findings will help shape future coaching strategies and enhance tactical literacy across all levels of the sport.
Cissé’s presence in the panel adds a strong African voice to a globally diverse team of experts. As the football world turns its attention to the U.S. this summer, the insights drawn by Cissé and his colleagues will be closely followed, offering a detailed look at the evolving trends that define the modern game.
FIFA unveils Technical Study Group for FIFA Club World Cup 2025™
Group to be led by FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger
Team of experts to share in-depth insights from across all 63 tournament matches
Panel is responsible for selecting winners of FIFA… pic.twitter.com/7gvL7PsLi2
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) June 11, 2025
