LAST UPDATE | 15 Dec 2022
Yassine Bounou (Morocco): Not many people would have been tipping Sevilla’s Yassine Bounou, also known as Bono, to be a team-of-the-tournament contender beforehand, yet the 31-year-old has excelled. He made a number of vital saves throughout their amazing journey, helping them come through a penalty shootout with Spain and featuring in every game apart from the Belgium win.
Nayef Aguerd (Morocco): The 26-year-old West Ham player’s absence through injury told, as Morocco were overcome in the semi-finals against France, while he also missed the win against Portugal, having been forced off late on against Spain, yet Aguerd was outstanding when he did feature for a Morocco side that had conceded just once in their opening five matches.
Romain Saïss (Morocco): The 32-year-old former Wolves player now on the books at Besiktas was impeccable in his role as captain of Morocco. He has featured in every one of their six games so far, scoring the opening goal in the memorable win against Belgium. He may yet feature in the third-place playoff, but his tournament proper ended on a disappointing note, having to be withdrawn because of injury after 21 minutes of the France semi-final, and they no doubt missed his inspirational leadership for the remainder of the contest.
Joško Gvardiol (Croatia): Perhaps unfairly, Gvardiol will likely be most remembered at this tournament as the player who could not stop Lionel Messi amid Argentina’s brilliant third goal in the semi-final. Yet for the most part, Gvardiol has impressed, helping his side exceed expectations, conceding just three goals in their first five matches. Consequently, it’s no surprise to the masked RB Leipzig defender linked with a £95 million move – Chelsea and Man City are among the clubs reportedly interested.
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco): There would have been significant pressure on the 24-year-old PSG man’s shoulders, as one of the few obvious stars in the Morocco team. Yet the player showed why he is considered one of the world’s best right-backs, with a series of energetic and disciplined performances. He has consequently emerged with his reputation enhanced, starting all six of his country’s games at this tournament.
Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco): Another unsung hero of the tournament, the 25-year-old Netherlands-born player who signed for Bayern Munich from Ajax in the summer was another Moroccan who had a stellar tournament on their left-hand side. Unfortunately, though, the tournament’s hectic schedule appeared to take a toll on his body ultimately. He missed the Portugal match through injury, while he did not appear fully fit for the France semi-final and it was unsurprising to see him taken off at half-time.
Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco): Very much a toss-up on who to include here between Amrabat and his similarly magnificent midfield partner Azzedine Ounahi. In the end, the 26-year-old tough-tackling, hard-running Fiorentina player just about edges it over the 22-year-old Angers player, who would not have been widely known before this tournament. It’s not a shock to see both being linked with a big move on the back of their performances, with Amrabat reportedly targeted by Liverpool.
Luka Modric (Croatia): At 37, Real Madrid’s Modric continues to defy age and logic by starring for a Croatian team that exceeded expectations for the second World Cup in a row. The veteran midfielder’s passing and game intelligence are a joy to behold, and while he will have to cope with the frustration of agonisingly just missing out on two World Cup triumphs now, he can take consolation from the fact that he was one of the players of the tournament on both occasions.
Antoine Griezmann (France): Discarded by Barcelona just over a year ago, some people might have expected a subsequent descent into obscurity for Griezmann. Instead, the once-prolific forward has adapted to ageing impressively, refashioning himself as a more deep-lying creative midfielder, featuring in all six of France’s matches and chipping in with three assists. He was arguably the best player on the pitch during the wins over both England and Morocco, and has been consistently brilliant throughout the tournament.
Lionel Messi (Argentina): What more can be said about the player increasingly regarded as the greatest of all time? Tied with PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe on five goals, Messi is in a strong position to claim the Golden Boot with one game to play. Yet it has perhaps been his assists that have been the most memorable aspect of his play at this tournament, notably the majestic pass for Nahuel Molina’s goal against the Netherlands and the remarkable dribble to lay it on a plate for Julian Alvarez versus Croatia.
Kylian Mbappe (France): One of the most hyped players coming into the tournament, Mbappe has justified that talk with several dazzling displays and five goals from six games. His frightening pace in particular stands out and at 23, he is on the brink of inspiring his country to a World Cup triumph for the second time. Much has been made about his exorbitant wages and various demands off the field, but there is no doubt he is at the very least among the top three players in the world right now, and the performances of recent weeks have very much backed up that assertion.
Formation (5-3-2): Bounou; Aguerd, Saïss, Gvardiol; Hakimi, Mazraoui; Amrabat, Modric; Griezmann; Messi, Mbappe.
Substitutes: Dominik Livaković (Croatia), Josip Juranović (Croatia), Raphaël Varane (France), Dejan Lovren (Croatia), Cristian Romero (Argentina), Aurélien Tchouaméni (France), Azzedine Ounahi (Morocco), Leandro Paredes (Argentina), Mateo Kovačić (Croatia), Enzo Fernández (Argentina), Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina), Sofiane Boufal (Morocco), Hakim Ziyech (Morocco), Olivier Giroud (France), Julián Álvarez (Argentina).