Ex-Albion star

Brighton and Hove Albion FC Football Sport

Beram Kayal ran the show from midfield during his time with Albion.

Now the former midfielder has been at the biggest show on earth working for Israeli media.

Kayal took a month-long break from his role with his national FA to do some media work at the World Cup.

He has shared his highlights and expert observations with us as the biggest such tournament, with 48 teams and 104 matches, comes to a close.

Kayal works as assistant to the technical director at the Israeli FA, supervising age groups from under-19s down as well as five development centres.

He is studying for a sports director’s diploma and has turned down offers of media work.

“Not yet to be part of the media – maybe later on,” he said.

But the ex-Celtic man has been given the green light to by his FA to share his thoughts on the World Cup with Argus readers.

Best game seen?

The best match of the tournament for me was Egypt v Argentina. At 79 minutes it was 2–0. Wow. What a game. Best goal?

Cabral's goal for Cape Verde against Argentina to make it 2–2. Pure quality. Best team seen and why?

For me, Spain has been the most complete team in the tournament. They play as one unit, stay true to their identity, and keep their structure even in difficult moments.

Beram Kayal and Nadav Jakobi at the SoFi Stadium (Image: Beram Kayal)

A player you ‘discovered’ or were pleasantly surprised by?

One player who really caught my eye is Johan Manzambi, the 20-year-old Swiss midfielder from Freiburg. A hard-working, intelligent player who can perform in several positions. Definitely one to watch for the future.

England show their appreciation of Steele as they clinch third place Kostoulas shows the difference as he makes early impact in pre-season Can this Hurzeler verdict on Tuchel and England help Albion next season?

A special memory from your experiences in the USA?

Working as a TV analyst on Belgium was a special experience. You study the players in detail, and then suddenly you meet footballers you once played against, like Leandro Trossard, in the tunnel before the match. Moments like that remind you how small the football world really is. Standing on the pitch in Los Angeles in the 90th minute made me feel like a player all over again. Anything that struck you tactically or that you learned from watching games?

Tactically, this World Cup has been a masterclass. One pattern I loved was the winger moving inside to create a box midfield, while the full-back on the same side pushes forward to create numerical superiority.

Another fascinating trend is how the modern game often becomes a 4-4-2 in the middle block, even when teams start in a 4-3-3. That's where so many creative ideas and tactical solutions are born.