Mbappe, Messi, and Bruno Fernandes all rising to the occasion as we look at the combined best playing 11 for FIFA World Cup 2022 at the group stage level.
In no time, the World Cup 2022 group stage is over, and we are through to the knockout stages. The tournament has displayed exceptional competition so far. We have seen some stunning upsets in form of Saudi Arabia beating Argentina, Tunisia winning against France, Japan knocking Germany out of the World Cup, and Cameroon beating Brazil.
We have also seen some new stars like Bellingham, Cody Gakpo, and Diogo Costa shining brightly in the group stage. Also established superstars like Messi, Mbappe, Kane, etc, have come to the party in making this World Cup memorable.
But how about the players who have performed the best so far in the tournament? Well, we will look at 11 such players who have been exceptional so far. So, let’s look at the combined best playing 11 for FIFA World Cup 2022 at the group stage level.
Fifa World Cup 2022 Combined Best Playing 11 for Group Stage:
Goalkeeper:
Wojciech Szczęsny [ Poland ]
The 32-year-old Goalkeeper is having the time of his life in front of the goalpost with two penalties saved and staggering statistics of 6 saves per match and 14 saves inside the box in 3 group-stage matches. His saves helped his side to qualify for the round of 16 as they edge passed Mexico based on a better Goal difference.
Defenders:
Theo Hernandez [ France ]
The French defender is having an excellent World Cup campaign so far with statistics of 100℅ tackles won and 91% pass accuracy. On top of his defending skills, he is playing a crucial role in the attacking front as well. His 2 assists helped his team secure the top position in Group D.
Achraf Hakimi [ Morroco ]
Hakimi has shown superhuman defensive skills in the group stage against Croatia and Belgium. He has statistics of 2 clean sheets, 76.9 % tackles won, 69℅ duals won, 5 interceptions, and 2 clearances. Morroco have performed above expectations so far and Hakimi is one of the reasons for that.
Marquinhos [ Brazil ]
PSG defender, Marquinhos is making life easy for the Brazilian Goalkeeper Alisson Becker with 100% tackles won, 75% duals won and 96% pass accuracy. He has played a key role in setting the pace of the game in the Brazilian half.
Luke Shaw [ England ]
The England defender, Luke Shaw has kept 2 clean sheets with 2 clearances and 2 key interceptions. He also provided one assist in the opening match to Jude Bellingham to begin the campaign for England. But his real test will be in the knockout stage where the stakes will be high.
Midfielders:
Davy Klaassen [ Netherlands ]
Davy Klassen is the man in form. He provided 2 assists and scored once in the group-stage matches. He has made a great equation with striker Cody Gakpo and both were able to break the deadlock in matches against Ecuador and Qatar.
Dani Almo [ Spain ]
Though Spain have many good performances at the group stage level, one player who set the tone in midfield is Dani Almo. He has one goal and one assist to his name. But his ground coverage and gritty performances in defensive setup stand him out from others. Spain will surely need his all-round skills in the knockout stages.
Bruno Fernandes [ Portugal ]
Fernandes is certainly one of the best players of the tournament so far. He scored twice and provided that many assists in the first two matches The versatile midfielder helped Portugal to secure maximum points from the first two matches. It helped manager Santos to rest key players in the last group game to have more fresh legs in the knockout stage.
Forwards:
Cody Gakpo [ Netherlands ]
The Dutch forward made sure that his team finishes on top at the group stage. He has 3 goals to his name with a shot accuracy of 100%. He has scored one left foot, one right foot, and one head goal so far. Now with Memphis Depay also coming good, the Netherlands are a team to beat going forward.
Kylian Mbappe [ France ]
The French number 10 is in the race to Golden Boot with 3 goals. He also has an assist to his name. With star forward Benzema ruling out of the tournament and Antoine Griezmann, not in his best form, this France team is heavily dependent on the heroics of Kylian Mbappe in knockout games.
Lionel Messi [ Argentina ]
After the shocking defeat against Saudi Arabia in the opening fixture, Argentina needed the magic of their Talismanic footballer Lionel Messi. And he truly arrived against Mexico with one goal and assist in the 2-0 victory. Stakes are high in the knockout stages and expectations are great from Messi. Great players live for these kinds of moments and pressure situations, and so far Messi is living up to the expectations in this World Cup.
FIFA World Cup 2022 – Combined Best Playing 11 for Group Stage:
Wojciech Szczesny (gk), Theo Hernandez, Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Luke Shaw, Davy Klaassen, Dani Almo, Bruno Fernandes, Cody Gakpo, Kylian Mbappe & Lionel Messi
Thanks for reading! What’s your best players 11 for the FIFA World Cup 2022 at group stage level? Please email your thoughts to footbalyticsofficial@gmail.com
ALSO READ: FIFA World Cup 2022: The Unlucky Players 11 to Miss the Tournament
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.