Video
How Total Football Was Born Overnight
Mentioned in this video
Try The Athletic for FREE for 30 days: theathletic.com/tifofootball
📗 Tifo's new book, "How to Watch Football" is now available internationally: linktr.ee/tifobook
The Netherlands side of the 1970s was enormously influential. They enchanted the footballing world with their ‘Total Football’ at the 1974 World Cup. A style of play that is still influencing teams, clubs and ideologies today.
It is a style of football that mirrored the cultural revolution in Amsterdam at the time.
This is the story of how Cruyff, Michels and Ajax changed the way we play football today.
This is the seventeenth in a series, written by Jonathan Wilson, exploring the entire history of football.
Illustrated by Philippe Fenner.
Join the Tifo Discord Server - discord.gg/6nMGtSyyNM
Follow Tifo Football by The Athletic:
Facebook: facebook.com/TifoFootball
Instagram: instagram.com/TifoFootball_
TikTok: tiktok.com/@tifofootball_
X: x.com/TifoFootball_
Listen to the Tifo Football podcast:
The Athletic UK: bit.ly/TifoPodChannel
Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/TifoFootPod
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/06QIGhqK31Qw1UvfHzRIDA
YouTube: youtube.com/playlist
Watch more Tifo:
Tifo Football Podcast: youtube.com/playlist
Tifo Sports by The Athletic: youtube.com/@TifoSports
About Tifo Football by The Athletic:
Tifo loves football. We create In-depth tactical, historical and geopolitical breakdowns of the beautiful game.
We know there’s an appetite for thoughtful, intelligent content. For stuff that makes the complicated simple.
We provide analysis on the Premier League, Champions League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, World Cup and more.
Our podcasts interview some of the game’s leading figures. And our editorial covers football with depth and insight.
Founded in 2017 and became a part of The Athletic in 2020. For business inquiries, reach out to tifo@theathletic.com.
Additional footage sourced from freestockfootagearchive.com
Music provided by APM Music
About this video
"How Total Football Was Born Overnight" is a soccer video from Tifo Football by The Athletic published on May 11, 2026. Runtime 5 minutes · 29,377 views. This clip features johan cruyff of the Ajax. Pulled during 1974 world cup. Spot Sports collects Soccer highlight videos, podcast episodes, and live coverage from across the web so every conversation about johan cruyff stays in one feed. Follow johan cruyff on Spot Sports to get the next highlight, postgame analysis, and podcast appearance pushed to your home feed. If you want to watch Soccer live, Spot Sports' watch-cost calculator maps your zip code to the cheapest legal way to stream every game without paying for tiers you don't need.
Frequently asked
Where is this video from?
This video is from the Tifo Football by The Athletic channel, covering soccer. Spot Sports aggregates clips from trusted sports publishers in one place.
How long is this video?
5 minutes. Hit play above to watch the full clip on Spot Sports.
Who is featured in this video?
johan cruyff of the Ajax (soccer) is featured. Tap any mentioned athlete or team to jump to their full profile, schedule, and stat pages.
Where else can I watch Soccer on Spot Sports?
Browse the Soccer hub for live scores, schedules, highlight reels, and podcast coverage. Spot Sports also maps your zip code to the cheapest legal way to watch each league live.
How do I get notified when johan cruyff appears in new highlights?
Follow johan cruyff on Spot Sports. We push every new highlight video, podcast appearance, and game alert from across the web to your personalized feed in real time.
Why does this clip live on Spot Sports?
Spot Sports is the home for sports fans who want everything that matters in one place: scores, schedules, highlight videos, podcast episodes, watch-cost guides, and live coverage. Each clip is paired with the channel, athletes, teams, and league context so you can keep exploring without juggling tabs.
Can I save or share How Total Football Was Born Overnight?
Use the Spot Sports interaction toolbar above the video to save or share. Create a free account to bookmark clips, sync your follow list across devices, and unlock personalized daily briefings about the athletes and teams you care about.
What else does Spot Sports cover?
Spot Sports tracks every major North American league plus the Olympics, soccer's top European leagues, college football and basketball, NASCAR, Formula 1, the PGA Tour, the LPGA, the ATP, the WTA, MMA, boxing, the NWSL, the WNBA, and more. The same feed surfaces breaking news, scores, schedules, podcasts, highlight videos, and answer-grade guides for cord-cutters.
