The 25 best footballers of Qatar Football World Cup
Preparing for the Football World Cup in November and December. Who would have thought that a summer football event would turn into a winter wonderland? The game of football has changed a lot over the years: how it is played, who plays it, how we watch games play. Slowly but surely, the game has evolved, and when drastic transformations take place, such as the Winter FIFA World Cup, it can seem like a revolution happened overnight.
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For over a decade, the duel between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has come down to topping this list, but suddenly that title shouldn’t be decided by them. This year’s list is full of new faces, many young but some older who now have the chance to show that they are the best football has to offer.
And what better way to do it than the biggest sporting event on the planet? So, thanks to the contributions of our global network of contributors, these are the top 25 players from the Football World Cup in Qatar.
25. Casemiro
Country: Brazil
Club: Manchester United
Age: 30
Position: Midfielder
2018 Rank: Not ranked
Erik ten Hag calls Casemiro the cement between the stones at Manchester United and in a Brazilian team full of attacking flair, he is a valuable insurance policy ahead of defence. Having taken the time to earn a regular place at Old Trafford, the 30-year-old has become one of United’s key players this season and he will be vital to Selesao in Qatar. Tite has built a Brazil whose strength is balance, and Casemiro’s role in midfield – along with United teammate Fred – is key to that. He is heading to Qatar Football World Cup in good shape.
24. Manuel Neuer
Country: Germany
Club: Bayern Munich
Age: 36
Position: Goalkeeper
2018 Rank: 25
No one can challenge age, not even the greatest goalkeeper of all time. Nowadays, however, Neuer remains the same type of player he was ten years ago, which means that he shows excellent reflexes and positional awareness as a shot stopper and is extremely talented as a sweeping goalkeeper, often depriving opponents of the opportunity to counterattack. If there’s one thing that could stop Neuer, it’s his age and growing injuries.
23. Ruben Dias
Country: Portugal
Club: Manchester City
Age: 25
Position: Defender
2018 Rank: Not ranked
Dias has become Portugal’s number one centre-back since playing a key role in their 2019 UEFA Nations League triumph. to challenge the years for club and country, but Diaz is now the senior partner in that relationship with his leadership and ability to read the game.
22. Jude Bellingham
Country: England
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Age: 19
Position: Midfielder
2018 Rank: Not ranked
The English prodigy plays for England with more restraint than for Borussia Dortmund, owing to the role Gareth Southgate usually assigns him. Although Bellingham can’t show his box-to-box as much, his run around the field is crucial for the Three Lions to create chances.
Bellingham is a midfielder’s Swiss pocket knife as he can do just about everything from a tough defense to opening the field with smart passes and penetrating sprints into the box. England became dependent on Bellingham. If he plays a strong tournament, then the doors to the semi-final or even the final are wide open.
21. Alisson
Country: Brazil
Club: Liverpool
Age: 30
Position: Goalkeeper
2018 Rank: Not ranked
In 2015, Alisson found himself in a deep crisis when a little-known and inexperienced unexpectedly became the best goalkeeper of the Brazilian national team. This turned out to be an inspiration. He has developed into one of the best in the world in this position, solid and unassuming, but capable of extraordinary accomplishments. He worked hard on his distribution and eventually became one of the leaders of the team. Thanks to all these advantages, he is ahead of the excellent Ederson and takes first place in Brazil.
20. Cristiano Ronaldo
Country: Portugal
Club: Manchester United
Age: 37
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 2
The Manchester United forward’s record-breaking career may finally be on the wane at the age of 37, but he remains a talisman figure for Portugal ahead of his fifth FIFA World Cup appearance. Ronaldo travels to Qatar as the top scorer in international football history, bringing his tally to 117 after scoring twice in a 4-0 UEFA Nations League win against Switzerland in June.
Those are the only goals he has scored for Portugal in 2022, and the debate about his importance to his country is starting to grow ahead of Qatar World Cup. However, Ronaldo continues to be the first name on the Santos team list and his track record of achieving big and important goals for his country cannot be disputed, so he will continue to lead his country in this Football World Cup.
19. Pedri
Country: Spain
Club: Barcelona
Age: 19
Position: Midfielder
2018 Rank: Not ranked
The Barcelona midfielder has been named UEFA Euro 2020 Young Player of the Year and will be a top hopeful player for Spain in Qatar World Cup. He will turn 20 during the tournament and as is often the case at Barça, everything La Roja does is likely to go through him.
He has maturity beyond his years, knows when to speed up the game and when to slow it down and, most importantly, rarely makes mistakes with the ball. After a failed campaign last time, after his exploits at the Euros and the Olympics, he is back in great shape just in time for the most important competition in the game.
18. Phil Foden
Country: England
Club: Manchester City
Age: 22
Position: Midfielder
2018 Rank: Not ranked
Foden has been a central figure in Guardiola’s winning car at Manchester City, but he’s no guarantee he’ll be in England’s starting line-up for the Football World Cup. If Gareth Southgate chooses to play with three centre-backs and a pair of full-backs, that will likely mean Foden will have to fight for one of two positions on either side of captain Harry Kane, with competition from Bukayo Saki and Raheem going strong. Sterling, Mason Mount, Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford.
Foden has been in good shape for City this season, but Southgate hasn’t always picked his team in shape and he may have to wait for his chance. The 21-year-old has a habit of influencing City’s big games and it’s only a matter of time before he does the same for England.
17. Joao Cancelo
Country: Portugal
Club: Manchester City
Age: 28
Position: Defender
2018 Rank: Not ranked
Cancelo has built a reputation as one of the most devastating attacking full-backs in the world at Juventus and Manchester City and is expected to serve Ronaldo. He is expected to play his preferred right-back role despite regularly playing on the left flank at the Etihad Stadium.
16. Bernardo Silva
Country: Portugal
Club: Manchester City
Age: 28
Position: Midfielder
2018 Rank: Not ranked
There is a feeling in Portugal that if they do well in Qatar World Cup it will be thanks to players like Silva and not Ronaldo. Portugal have a team of stellar names, but they will need the hard work and speed of a Manchester City man if they are going to make it to the later rounds.
15. Joshua Kimmich
Country: Germany
Club: Bayern Munich
Age: 27
Position: Midfielder
2018 Rank: Not ranked
He is the heart and lungs of the German midfield. Kimmich rarely breaks under pressure, making it difficult to separate him from the ball. Most build-up games go directly through him and Ilkay Gundogan. The two complement each other perfectly in the center of the park as Kimmich provides intensity and defensive awareness while Gundogan has proven to have a creative mind.
14. Federico Valverde
Country: Uruguay
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 24
Position: Midfielder
2018 Rank: Not ranked
Few players have improved as much and as quickly as Valverde over the past year. He is now one of Real Madrid’s key attacking players and therefore a long-awaited star for Uruguay in this tournament. One question mark is exactly what position he will take: he tends to operate more centrally for his country than the right-wing role that has already netted him eight goals for Real Madrid this season.
13. Son Heung-Min
Country: South Korea
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Age: 30
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 37
South Korea has more talent than in recent years, but Son remains the country’s superstar, carrying the nation’s hopes on his shoulders. So in this context, the news that the Tottenham forward needed surgery for a broken eye socket less than three weeks before the start of the tournament was some of the biggest fear South Korea could bear. They will play in a tough group with Uruguay, Portugal and Ghana and will definitely need Son to return to his best in order to progress.
12. Virgil van Dijk
Country: Netherlands
Club: Liverpool
Age: 31
Position: Defender
2018 Rank: Not ranked
Van Dijk has had a mixed club season so far. Excellent performances against Man City and Napoli were combined with matches in which he was rightly criticized for his performances. Along the way, he also lost his amazing unbeaten record at Anfield, but no matter what happens, Van Dijk is and will be the undisputed leader of the Dutch national team throughout this tournament.
11. Harry Kane
Country: England
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Age: 29
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 5
Kane is England’s captain and could become the country’s most goalscorer in Qatar World Cup (now 51, two goals behind Wayne Rooney). He won the Golden Boot at the 2018 Football World Cup and plans to do the same again as part of the Three Lions, who finished fourth in that tournament, second at Euro 2020 and took home the biggest prize this month. The problem is that England have recently been battling for goals on a six-game losing streak, and Kane hasn’t scored a goal for England in open play since November 2021.
10. Sadio Mane
Country: Senegal
Club: Bayern Munich
Age: 30
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 31
The Bayern Munich striker is arguably Africa’s leading player, edging out his old Liverpool teammate and Egypt star Mohamed Salah in that distinction, and Mane’s performances for Senegal more than back up his claims of being considered the most important player. on your continent.
The 2022 Africa Player of the Year scored the winning penalty in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations final shootout against Salah’s Egypt to become his country’s all-time top scorer with 32 goals, eclipsing the previous record by Henri Camara in June. After being named player of the Nations Cup tournament, Mane then made another appearance for Senegal, sending his team to the Football World Cup, again scoring the deciding penalty in the play-off against Egypt.
9. Thibaut Courtois
Country: Belgium
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 30
Position: Goalkeeper
2018 Rank: 43
A year ago, Courtois felt underappreciated and underappreciated, overshadowed by high-profile Premier League peers like Alisson and Ederson. Not anymore. An unbeatable goalkeeper performance in Real Madrid’s Champions League final against Liverpool in May, with a record nine saves, was followed by a seventh-place finish on the 2022 Ballon d’Or shortlist.
The Belgium stopper is widely regarded as the best in the world right now and he will have the opportunity to prove it in Qatar. Some of the Belgium veteran outfielders, like teammate Eden Hazard, may not be at their best anymore, but the 30-year-old Courtois is at the top of his game.
8. Vinicius Junior
Country: Brazil
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 22
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: Not ranked
The young winger has turned into an international star at Real Madrid as this incredible acceleration has sowed panic in the opposition’s defence. Unlike Rafinha on the opposite flank of the Selesao, Vinicius took time to find himself in the national team, scoring one goal in 16 games, and his place in the starting XI is by no means given.
Brazil has three slight variations in their formation. Vinicius appears in two, but not in the one that looks most likely in tight matches where Lucas Paqueta acts as a relegated left winger. Regardless, he still has a huge role to play in the tournament, even if he is off the bench. He will hope that by the end of the competition he will have made himself unkillable.
7. Luka Modric
Country: Croatia
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 37
Position: Midfielder
2018 Rank: 13
What else can be said about Modric? Croatia’s all-time record holder with 154 appearances since his debut in 2006 and arguably the greatest player of all time will take part in his eighth major international tournament in Qatar. Modric played a key role in Croatia’s surprise run to the 2018 Football World Cup final, and at 37 years old, he hasn’t dropped in the slightest, starring last season in La Liga and in Real Madrid’s Champions League winning campaign.
The midfield lineup of Modric, Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo Kovacic is a formidable unit and Croatia’s chances of getting any closer to repeating their heroism last time will rest on the shoulders of the trio. You would say it would be his international swan song for sure, but with Modric you never know for sure.
6. Neymar
Country: Brazil
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Age: 30
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 3
The pressure will be huge on Brazil’s tenth player, who could very well overtake Pelé to become Brazil’s all-time top scorer in the tournament. However, he is far behind Pelé in terms of achievement and it will be the Football World Cup where he is expected to correct that.
Neymar says this will be his last Football World Cup and it will definitely be the tournament that will define his legacy as a national team player.
He is benefiting from the emergence of a promising generation of young strikers who will take some of the pressure off his slender shoulders. The timing of the tournament also works in his favor. He was generally at his best in the first half of the season and there seemed to be no issues with his form and fitness as he headed towards his destiny.
5. Robert Lewandowski
Country: Poland
Club: Barcelona
Age: 34
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 10
There are several nations in Qatar World Cup that have such high hopes for one player. This does not mean that Poland does not have other good players, but the reality is that none of them are close to the level of Lewandowski.
The now 34-year-old striker has easily transferred his form from Bayern Munich to Barcelona, where he has already scored 18 goals this season after signing a €45m deal in the summer. Now his task is to take Poland out of the group stage for the first time since 1986. A record of 76 goals in 134 caps proves that his form plays an important role in international football, but as a striker he always depends to some extent on the service he receives. Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Argentina will choose him as the man to stop when they take on Poland.
4. Lionel Messi
Country: Argentina
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Age: 35
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 1
This is likely to be his last Football World Cup and he will arrive in Doha at 35 playing some of the best football of his recent career. Messi is obviously critical to Argentina’s success, but compared to the last FIFA World Cup, things are different. Coach Lionel Scaloni has made him a key cog in a well-oiled machine capable of going 34 games unbeaten. This is in stark contrast to last World Cup, when he was expected to win in the chaos of coach Jorge Sampaoli.
Messi doesn’t run like he used to, but his cunning and ability to find space remains. And his trademark move, when he starts from the flank on the right, cuts inside and lands a low, hard shot past the goalkeeper, remains almost unplayable. Winning the America’s Cup in 2021 made the major international tournament monkey go crazy. Now it’s time for the one crown that has always eluded him.
3. Kevin De Bruyne
Country: Belgium
Club: Manchester City
Age: 31
Position: Midfielder
2018 Rank: 4
Following Belgium’s 2-1 victory over Wales in September, Belgium coach Roberto Martinez was asked about De Bruyne. Sometimes managers prefer to focus on the team rather than the individual, but when it comes to de Bruyne, his abilities are so remarkable and so obvious that it makes no sense to hold back from praising his talents.
“This is a message to all of our fans: don’t take for granted the way Kevin De Bruyne plays, Martinez said. To me, he is currently the most incredible playmaker in world football.”
At Manchester City, Guardiola recently urged De Bruyne to improve. A week after Guardiola’s request, the player responded by scoring the winning goal against Leicester City and has been close to nine Premier League assists this season. He is irreplaceable for the club and the country, and his third place in the last Ballon d’Or was the highest place ever achieved by a Belgian player. If the Red Devils are successful in this year’s tournament, you can bet De Bruyne will be at his best.
2. Karim Benzema
Country: France
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 34
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: Not ranked
Benzema, aged 34, had to wait eight and a half years to play in the Football World Cup again. He wants to make up for lost time.
After all this time away from the national side, he returned to success at Euro 2021 with four goals in four matches, but the last 16 eliminations have left him with a sour taste in his mouth. Now, after winning the 2022 Ballon d’Or, he’s ready to make this Football World Cup a credit. This will most likely be his last tournament, so this is the biggest opportunity for him to write his name in the competition history books.
Benzema is highly motivated and knows that his partnership with Kylian Mbappé is the key to France’s success. They get along well and complement each other on the pitch. Benzema is a role model for Mbappe and together they are ready to lead France.
1. Kylian Mbappe
Country: France
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Age: 23
Position: Forward
2018 Rank: 15
Russia 2018 was the FIFA World Cup where Mbappe really announced his arrival. He was 19 years old, promising, still not necessarily world famous, and he took the competition by storm, becoming the first teenager since Pelé to score in the final and win it. Qatar World Cup 2022 will be the confirmation of the French prodigy at the Football World Cup; confirmation of his world-class status, his superstar image, his superstar talent.
There will be more pressure, expectations will be higher and his role in France will be bigger. On the pitch, the 23-year-old must redeem himself after not scoring a goal for Les Bleus after missing a decisive penalty in his last 16 defeats against Switzerland at Euro 2021 some 18 months ago. Now he has to deliver, as he did in 2018.
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