Spain's Tiki-Taka — death by a thousand passes at the 2010 World Cup

Spain's 2010 World Cup victory in South Africa was built on Tiki-Taka — a possession-based style characterized by short, rapid passes, constant movement, and keeping the ball away from the opponent until a gap appeared. The philosophy: if we have the ball, they can't score.

The numbers were staggering. Spain averaged over 600 passes per game in the tournament. Midfielder Xavi Hernández completed passes at a rate above 90%, while Andrés Iniesta scored the winning goal in the final against the Netherlands. The midfield trio of Xavi, Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets controlled games with a telepathic understanding.

Tiki-Taka's roots trace back to Barcelona and, further back, to Cruyff's Total Football. But Spain took it to its extreme at the international level. The style eventually became predictable — Spain was knocked out early in 2014 — but for a golden four-year period (Euro 2008, World Cup 2010, Euro 2012), no one could solve it.