Football Is a Team Sport: Different Profiles Build Great Teams

When we were younger, football felt so simple. On the playground, roles came naturally. The fastest kids went to the wing. The ones who could dribble got the ball more. The big and strong ones defended. The kid with the thunderous shot stayed up front.

Everyone had a profile. Everyone had a role.

So why, as fans, have we grown up and forgotten this? Why do we now criticize professional players for not being “complete” when even the best teams are built on different profiles working together?

The truth is, elite football isn’t about having 11 flawless players. It’s about balance. A team needs variety:

• The dribbler who pulls defenders out of shape.
  
• The runner who stretches the pitch and presses.
  
• The playmaker with vision and finesse.
  
• The striker who might lack a silky touch but finishes ruthlessly.
  
• The defender who organizes and refuses to be beaten.
  

Not every player has to excel at everything. Even at the top level, strengths and weaknesses coexist. Team construction is an art — the puzzle is completed with pieces that are imperfect but purposeful.

Look at Manchester City. The side that dominated under Pep Guardiola thrived because of its mix of profiles. Raheem Sterling wasn’t the cleanest technician, but he stretched defenses. Fernandinho, never flashy, controlled transitions with his positioning and tactical fouls. Gabriel Jesus wasn’t the most clinical, but his pressing and link-up play were invaluable. Then you had elite creators like Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva, plus lethal finishers like Leroy Sané.

That balance made them nearly unstoppable. But in the 2023–24 season, cracks showed as some profiles weren’t replaced. Without Sterling or Mahrez, City lost 1v1 threat on the wings. Without Jesus, they lacked chaos and pressing energy up front. The system became more predictable — not because individuals got worse, but because the variety of profiles shrank.

This is the bigger picture: football isn’t about 11 identical players. It’s about profiles that complement each other. Teams need runners, creators, destroyers, leaders, and specialists.

That’s what makes football the ultimate team sport.