One of the biggest myths in football development is that great players are created by coaching courses and facilities.
There are 211 FIFA nations, yet only a handful consistently produce world-class players.
Most people believe Europe has a monopoly on development and that countries like Japan succeed because of superior coaching.
After 40+ years working in Japan, I can tell you that's not the real reason.
The difference is culture.
The most successful football nations have cultural environments that naturally develop the habits, behaviors, discipline, competitiveness, creativity, and social learning that elite players need.
Culture is invisible. It's difficult to see and even harder to explain.
That's why many countries keep investing in coaching education and infrastructure but see limited results. They're trying to solve a cultural challenge with technical solutions.
My World Cup prediction remains the same as it has been for several tournaments: the champion will most likely come from the small group of nations that have already won one before, with a few emerging contenders on the fringe.
Football development is not primarily about coaching.
It's about culture.