How the Chile National Football Team Can Overcome Recent Challenges and Return to Top Form

Watching the Chile national football team navigate the past few years has been a fascinating, if sometimes frustrating, experience for someone like me who has followed their rise and consolidation as a South American powerhouse. The golden generation, the one that secured back-to-back Copa América titles in 2015 and 2016 and consistently challenged the world's best, seems to have reached a natural inflection point. The question now isn't about recapturing past glory overnight, but about building a bridge to a new era. The path back to top form is complex, but I believe it hinges on a fundamental shift in mentality, one perfectly encapsulated by a simple yet powerful quote from a veteran athlete from another sport. He once said, "At the end of the day, just coming out and competing, giving it all that I can. That usually takes over anything else. Just playing to compete and playing to win." That ethos, stripped of complacency or entitlement, is the exact medicine La Roja needs.

Let's be honest, the data isn't kind. Failing to qualify for the last two FIFA World Cups, in 2018 and 2022, is the starkest statistic, a clear deviation from their golden decade. In the 2026 qualifiers so far, the inconsistency is palpable—a thrilling win one match followed by a disjointed, passive performance the next. Part of this, in my view, stems from a psychological hangover. For years, Chile was the hunter, the aggressive, high-pressing underdog with a point to prove. Success transformed them, perhaps subconsciously, into a team expected to control and dominate, but the tactical core aged, and the intensity waned. The physical outputs, the distance covered, the high-intensity sprints—I’d wager they’ve dropped by a noticeable margin, maybe 8-10% on average since 2017. That’s not just fitness; it’s a state of mind. You can't press with the same ferocity if you're mentally a fraction of a second late. This is where that quote resonates. "Just coming out and competing" isn't about a fancy tactical system; it's about recovering that primal, collective hunger. It’s the foundation upon which any tactical plan must be built.

The generational transition is, of course, the elephant in the room. We can't expect Arturo Vidal, now 37, and Gary Medel, 36, to be the relentless engines for 90 minutes anymore. Their leadership is invaluable, but their roles must evolve. The integration of younger talents like Darío Osorio, Víctor Méndez, or the more established Marcelino Núñez has been hesitant. I’d like to see a clearer commitment. Start them in consecutive matches, build partnerships, and accept that there will be growing pains. The 2024 Copa América, in my opinion, should be less about a last hurrah for the old guard and more a laboratory for the new core. It’s a tough call, and sentimentality is a powerful force in football, but sustained success requires cold, hard decisions. The midfield, once a bastion of bite and creativity, needs a new identity. It might be less individually brilliant for a while, but it can be more energetic and cohesive.

Tactically, I’ve felt a sense of rigidity. The 4-3-1-2 or 4-3-3 that served them so well became predictable. The full-backs don't provide the same overwhelming width, and the attacking patterns seem rehearsed to the point of being sterile. A shift to a more pragmatic, perhaps even counter-attacking stance against superior sides, leveraging the pace of Ben Brereton Díaz and the cleverness of Alexis Sánchez, could be beneficial. But again, any system fails without the core competitive principle. You can set up to counter, but if you're not first to every loose ball, if you're not willing to out-sprint your marker, the tactic is just a drawing on a whiteboard. "Giving it all that I can" is the non-negotiable prerequisite.

Finally, there's the cultural aspect. Chilean football has always been defined by garra, that unique blend of fighting spirit and resilience. Somewhere along the line, between the trophies and the accolades, that edge might have softened. Restoring it is the key. It’s about cultivating an environment where every player, from the seasoned captain to the newest debutant, feels the profound responsibility of the shirt not as a burden of expectation, but as a license to fight. It’s about celebrating the tackle, the recovery, the selfless run as much as the goal. This, to me, is the most critical rebuild—not of the squad, but of the team's soul.

So, can Chile return to top form? Absolutely. But it won't be through merely waiting for the next magical generation. It will be through a conscious, daily recommitment to the basics of elite competition. It’s about building a team that, regardless of the names on the sheet, embodies that idea of just playing to compete and playing to win. The talent in Chile is there; it always has been. The blueprint isn't a secret tactical innovation from Europe. It’s a return to their own roots, fueled by an unwavering competitive fire. When they rediscover that identity, the results will follow. The journey back begins not with a complex strategy, but with a simple choice: to compete, first and foremost, in every single moment.