Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe to attack as we look at the combined best players 11 for FIFA World Cup 2022.
The FIFA World Cup 2022 ended on a fantastic note with probably the best World Cup final match ever in the history of the game. It had everything to be called a Blockbuster finale. Right from the constant sinusoidal Goal scoring to the World’s best footballers displaying A+ footballing skills for their country. Finally, after a thrilling finale, it was Argentina who came out victorious on account of Penalties.
But the night was truly about one man, Lionel Messi. The G.O.A.T achieved almost everything in his career span, but had this one trophy cabinet empty. He had to wait for the longest of periods, but finally, in his fifth and final attempt, he delivered a blockbuster campaign with seven goals and 3 assists to win it for Argentina.
On the other hand, Mbappe showed why he is the hottest property in the footballing world. He introduced himself to the world in the previous edition of the world cup. And this time around, he earned the respect of every true football fan. He is here to stay for the next decade or so, and is a true heir to best-of-the-lot status just like Messi or Ronaldo.
Fifa World Cup 2022 Combined Best Players 11 of the Tournament:
FIFA World Cup is a format where we get only one winning team at the end. But for football fans across the globe, it is much more than just the final outcome. It is the biggest stage to show football talent, and this edition was no exception.
We have seen some well-known names like Perisic, Greizmann, and De Maria doing well. We also saw some new stars rising with a lot of promise in the form of Bellingham, Enzo Fernandez, and Josko Gvardiol. But how about the 11 best players of the tournament for FIFA World Cup 2022? Well, let’s find out in this article.
Goalkeeper:
Yassine Bounou [ Morocco ]
It was a tough call to not include Emiliano Martinez in the final best 11 after his heroics in the World Cup 2022 final and the Quarter Final against the Netherlands. It was hard to ignore his efforts, but Yassine Bounou’s performance in Knock-outs against some of the heavyweights of the tournament cannot be ignored.
His performance against Spain in the Round of 16 was spellbinding where he got a clean sheet before winning it for the team in penalties. Bounou once again made an impact with his rock-solid goalkeeping skills in a 1-0 win against one of the favorites Portugal in QF. He was one of the main reasons for the unexpected semifinal finish of the African nation.
Defenders:
Theo Hernandez [ France ]
French defender had an excellent World Cup campaign with statistics of 16 tackles and won 7 clearances. On top of his defending skills, he played a crucial role in attacking the front as well with 2 assists and 1 goal. The defense was not the strength of this French team, but AC Milan’s defender was always on his toes and helped his team to reach the consecutive World Cup finals.
Nikolas Otamendi [ Argentina ]
Who would have thought that Otamendi, who had a forgetful 2018 World Cup outing will be the key player to win the World Cup for Argentina 4 years later? The former Manchester City defender had 24 clearances, 9 interceptions, 2 blocked shots and 1 assist to his name. Barring his penalty resulting foul in the box off Kolo Muani in the finals, he was always the man in the mission guarding his flag well.
Josko Gvardiol [ Croatia ]
With 20 clearances, 8 interceptions, 4 blocked shots, and 5 tackles, stats for the 20-year-old Croatian speaks for themselves. Josko Gvardiol was rock solid in front of the goal and had a great partnership with Lovren to show Croatian resilience throughout the tournament. His performance in the world cup has created interest in top clubs across Europe. It will be difficult for RB Leipzig to hold him if the right offer comes in.
Achraf Hakimi [ Morocco ]
Hakimi has shown superhuman defensive skills in group stages against Croatia and Belgium. He further raised his game in the knockout stages against Spain and Portugal. His out-of-the-world defensive display helped Morocco to keep clean sheets against football giants Croatia, Belgium, Spain, and Portugal. With 26 tackles won and 46 duels won, the 24-year-old PSG defender has impressed everyone on the world stage.
Midfielders:
Ivan Perisic [ Croatia ]
Croatia scored 8 goals(excluding penalty shootouts) and Perisic had his role in 4 of them. With 3 assists and 1 goal, Perisic was the key player to break the deadlock situation – be it the round of 16 match against Japan or the 3rd place match against Morocco. Perisic along with Luka Modric managed to control the pace of the game in all the matches except the semi-finals against Argentina.
Enzo Fernandez [ Argentina ]
The 21-year midfielder Enzo Fernandez has won the FIFA Young Player Award based on his exceptional performances at the World Cup. Though he has only 1 goal and 1 assist to his name, but his contribution to the team can’t just be measured in goals. With pass accuracy of 88%, 7 clearances, and 3 blocked shots, the young midfielder was influential on both sides of the pitch.
Antoine Griezmann [ France ]
We have not seen the usual Griezmann with goals this time; the Reason being the somewhat deeper role in the current France setup. But the 31-year-old did not disappoint with his work ethic as he did all the hard work in both halves of the pitch. His best game was the crucial quarterfinal encounter with the star-studded English side where he provided assists for both the goals his country had scored.
Bruno Fernandes [ Portugal ]
Fernandes’s inclusion in the best team of the World Cup might raise a few eyebrows, but we are not looking at only the semifinalist teams but at the overall tournament. Except for the disappointing 1-0 quarterfinal defeat against Morocco, Fernandes had anchored the Portugal ship well. He was influential in attacking as well as the defensive front. With 2 goals, 1 assist, 14 clearances, and 11 interceptions, the Manchester United midfielder certainly made his presence felt in this World Cup.
Forwards:
Kylian Mbappe [ France ]
Cometh the hour, cometh the man! This world Cup Final is one of the best Fifa World Cup finals witnessed by millions of fans across the globe. One person who made this possible was certainly Mbappe. Without his heroics, it wouldn’t be possible.
Not only in the finals, but throughout the tournament, this French team was heavily dependent on Mbappe. The Golden Boot winner has already achieved so much at this young age which most players just dream of. Aged just 23, Mbappe can achieve things beyond our imagination.
Lionel Messi [ Argentina ]
FIFA World Cup 2022 – Combined Best Players 11 of the Tournament:
Yassine Bounou, Theo Hernandez, Nicolas Otamendi, Josko Gvardiol, Achraf Hakimi, Ivan Perisic, Enzo Fernandez, Antoine Griezmann, Bruno Fernandes, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi
So, that’s about the FIFA World Cup 2022 best players 11. As the World celebrates another successful World Cup and the best finale ever, we are hoping the Football craze continues to grow and we are glued to more such fantastic International matches.
Thanks for reading! What’s your best players 11 for FIFA World Cup 2022? Please email your thoughts to footbalyticsofficial@gmail.com
ALSO READ: Exclusive: Flop 11 of the Tournament for FIFA World Cup 2022
Akshay is an author at Footbalytics. His love for football started way back in 1998 when Ronaldo (Not Cristiano) was his first football hero, and the list keeps getting longer ever since.
Though Akshay is a Teacher by profession, he firmly believes that there is no better classroom than the Sports field and no better Teacher than Sports.
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