Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, the key players as we look at the pre-tournament combined best players 11 for FIFA World Cup 2022.
The FIFA World Cup 2022 is just three weeks away, and all teams are busy planning the best squad that they can put forward in the tournament. Along with the defending champions, France, the World Cup will see many solid teams like Argentina, Portugal, Germany, Spain, etc.
Overall, Brazil have won the World Cup 5 times and France have won the previous World Cup in 2018. This is the first time there will be a World Cup in an Arab country. Given the heat in Qatar, this is also the first time the World Cup is being held mid-season which is also why it will be wrapped up in 29 days. (20th November’2022 – 18th December’2022).
The World Cup will see a lot of star players; some of which will be playing their last World Cup. This includes the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski etc. But how about the pre-tournament best payers 11 for FIFA World Cup 2022? Let’s find out in this article.
Combined Best Players 11 for FIFA World Cup 2022:
Goalkeeper:
Manuel Neuer: Germany
Neuer has conceded < 1 goal per 90 mins in the 20/21 season and 21/22 season. He also has a Save% greater than 70%. While there are some amazing goalkeepers we will get to see this World Cup, given his experience with Germany and also his Golden Glove from 2014, Manuel Neuer gets our pick as the top GK in this tournament.
Defenders:
Éder Militão: Brazil
Militao comes fresh from winning the UCL with Real Madrid and has also been a key player for Brazil, where he won the Copa América in 2019, alongside Marquinhos. He has a Tackle% of 90% against dribblers along with 88% pass accuracy this season. With a relatively easy group, Brazil should be able to move to the Knock-outs with ease.
Matthijs de Ligt: Netherlands
This 22-year-old defender from the Netherlands is not just an amazing defender but also an incredible leader. He will be pivotal in the Netherlands’ defence alongside Virgil Van Dijk. He has a Tackle% of 80% against dribblers along with 92% pass accuracy this season. Being playing consistently for Bayern Munich, he will be a key player to watch out for.
Rúben Dias: Portugal
Dias, since moving to Manchester City has been incredible at his game with 0.77 expected goals allowed per 90 mins when he is playing. He has a Tackle% of 100% against dribblers along with 93% pass accuracy this season. Dias will be the key player in the Portugal defence, who are looking to go all the way under Cristiano Ronaldo’s leadership.
Presnel Kimpembe: France
Kimpembe, who is also called Maestro is an important part of the EURO Cup-winning France squad in 2018. His excellent sense of distribution is something that France’s midfield will depend on his passes to move the ball forward. He has a Tackle% of 70% against dribblers along with 93% pass accuracy this season. Him alongside William Saliba will be hoping to break the jinx of the First round exit of WC champions.
Midfielders:
Kevin De Bruyne: Belgium
Kevin DeBruyne has been in scintillating form for Manchester City with 3 goals and 9 assists in 12 games this season. His awareness of the ball and players when he makes passes in games allows him to contribute to 1 goal in every game. He will be hoping to maintain his form and do the same for Belgium in this world cup.
Joshua Kimmich: Germany
One of the most versatile players in the world at present, Kimmich has 9 goals and 23 assists in the last 3 years in the Bundesliga. While he doesn’t score much, he is excellent at recovering the ball in the midfield and distributing it to the team. When Kimmich is doesn’t play, Bayern struggles to win games – that’s the impact of this midfield presence.
Lionel Messi: Argentina
Messi has already announced that the 2022 World Cup will be his last and Argentina will be looking to win this for him. Argentina are on a 35-game unbeaten streak and have also won the Copa America 2021 against Brazil. Messi will be coming to this World Cup in form from both Argentina and PSG (Messi has 7 goals and 10 assists in 12 games this season), and will be the player to watch out for.
Forwards:
Kylian Mbappe: France
Mbappe won the World Cup with France in 2018 as a 19-year-old. He scored 4 goals in 7 games, and will be France’s main man to score goals this year. He also scored 5 times in 6 games during the Qualifiers and is in hot form for France going into this World Cup. With 16 goals in 16 games for PSG this season, he has an average of a goal every game. France will be hoping he scores every game for them as well.
Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo has had a tough start to this season at Manchester United. However, he has scored twice in his last 3 games and will be to keep his goal-scoring form as we head into the World Cup. He scored 4 goals in 4 games in the 2018 World Cup and 5 goals in 4 games in the 2021 EURO Cup. He will be leading this Portuguese team to the World Cup this year hoping to reach the finals for the first time for Portugal.
Neymar: Brazil
Neymar will be leading the attack for Brazil again this year and will be hoping to win it for a record 6th time. He has scored 8 goals in 10 qualifier games for Brazil and will be heading into the world cup in great form. After losing the Cop America 2021 final, Brazil will be looking for redemption. Neymar has 6 goals under his name in the previous 2 World Cups, and will definitely be scoring more at Qatar.
Thanks for reading! What’s your best players 11 for the FIFA World Cup 2022? Please email your thoughts to footbalyticsofficial@gmail.com
ALSO READ: FIFA World Cup: Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo Historical Stats Comparison
Ayush is an author at Footbalytics. He is an avid football fan. He loves to play and follow the sport, and has been following club football since 2005, and has been playing the fantasy premier league for over 10 years.
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