The 2022 World Cup is behind us and has been arguably the greatest tournament ever, with upsets and many high-scoring thrillers. While we could ramble on for pages about the most notable moments of this World Cup, we will instead shed praise on the best individual performers of the competition. Here is the World Cup’s best XI (or at least, according to me.)
Goalkeeper: Dominik Livakovic
One of the more unrecognised players heading into the tournament, Croatian shot-stopper Dominik Livakovic has made a name for himself this tournament. He bagged Man of the Match honours against Japan and Brazil, with the keeper having himself the game of his life against the Selecao, where he was responsible for keeping the 2018 World Cup runners-up in the game, where he saved 11 shots from the Brazilians and saved a penalty in the shootout. The Croat has now been linked with a move to either Juventus, where he could play a role in the Old Lady’s resurgence, or Bayern Munich as a replacement for Manuel Neuer.
Defender: Thiago Silva
At 38 years old, the Brazilian continues to show the world that age is just a number. The Chelsea defender was one of Brazil’s best players throughout the tournament. His standout game was Brazil’s Round of 16 matchup against South Korea, where he became the oldest player to provide an assist in World Cup history. Silva will be 42 when the 2026 competition rolls around, meaning this may be the last time we see Thiago Silva don a Brazil kit at the World Cup finals. If that’s the case Silva’s name will go down as one of the greatest players to wear the Brazilian Yellow at the World Cup.
Defender: Josko Gvardiol
If the 2022 World Cup is anything to go by, we can assume that the torch of the best defender at World Cups has been passed down from Silva to Gvardiol, whose performances played a huge role in Croatia’s unlikely run to the semi-finals. A breakout star at this tournament, he was a serious contender for the FIFA Young Player Award, although it was ultimately given to Enzo Fernandes. His heroics have earned the attention of numerous big clubs across the world, with Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid being touted as potential suitors for the Masked Marvel.
Defender: Harry Maguire
Maguire’s stellar performances for England have perfectly hit back at his critics, many of whom argued that the Manchester United defender should not have even flown with the Three Lions to Qatar. His style of aggressive defending made him one of the highlight players of England’s run to the quarter-finals. His best moment of the tournament came in England’s first game against Iran, where despite the defender being mocked by the Iranian fans, Maguire had the last laugh, with a superb performance both defensively and going forward, where he provided an assist as well.
Midfielder: Bruno Fernandes
If Portugal had progressed further in Qatar, I feel Fernandes would have been in contention to win the Golden Ball award. The Portuguese found the back of the net twice and assisted his teammates thrice in this World Cup. He was also the highest-rated player at this edition of the tournament, according to SofaScore, where the midfielder earned an average rating of 8.38 out of 10
Midfielder: Bukayo Saka
Next up is Bukayo Saka of England. Saka netted a brace in the Three Lions’ 6-2 win over Iran and scored once in England’s Round of 16 matchup against Senegal. Saka was one of England’s bright spots in their disappointing loss to runners-up France, where he drew several fouls - one of which won a penalty for England. Saka will now return to Arsenal, where he hopes his superb form will help Arsenal win their first Premier League title since 2004.
Midfielder: Jude Bellingham
From one English youngster to another, the next player in our XI is Jude Bellingham, who at only 19 years old, was the brightest spark in the English contingent in Qatar. Bellingham’s best performance came in England’s 3-0 win over Senegal, where he created several chances for the English, one of which resulted in a Jordan Henderson goal. His performances have gained the attention of both his teammates and bigger clubs such as Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool.
Midfielder: Alexis Mac Allister
The first Argentine in our squad is Mac Allister. The Brighton playmaker carried his stellar club form into the competition, playing a pivotal role in Argentina winning the trophy for the third time. His assist in the final helped Di Maria put The Albiceleste up 2-0 against the French. His best game was against Poland, where he opened the scoring for the Argentines in a crucial matchup. His form in 2022 has earned him interest from Arsenal and Chelsea.
Forward: Kylian Mbappe
No surprise here, our first forward is France’s Kylian Mbappe. After months of drama leading up to the World Cup, the pressure was on Mbappe to light up the world with his performances. And did he deliver. Mbappe scored 8 goals this tournament - the most since Ronaldo tallied the same in 2002. His superb form has seen him overtake Cristiano Ronaldo in goals scored at the World Cup. He has also equalled Lionel Messi’s tally and is only 5 goals away from being the outright top scorer in World Cup history. The Frenchman has the world at his feet and only time will tell if he can fulfill the GOAT potential he undoubtedly has.
Forward: Lionel Messi
It’s unfair how good Messi is. Throughout this World Cup, he has shown glimpses of the legendary Diego Maradona, with his dazzling performances earning him the Golden Boot, making him the only player in World Cup history to win the award more than once. Several times throughout this tournament, he’s put his nation behind his back and carried them to success. He is now the top scorer in World Cups for Argentina and along with his 7 goals in Qatar he also ended up as the joint-highest assist provider. The World Cup was the only major trophy that had eluded him for years and winning it has solidified his place as a football GOAT.
Forward: Antoine Griezmann
It seems funny to think that there was a period when Griezmann was not expected to feature in the French squad in Qatar. However, a career renaissance at Atletico Madrid has seen the forward reinvent himself as a striker who drops deep to help his team out defensively. His form has seen him finish as one of France’s best players in Qatar, and dish out the joint-most assists in the tournament, with 3. He played a huge role in France’s 2-0 win over Morocco and was rewarded with a Man of the Match award. Paul Pogba even jokingly called him “Griezmannkante”, referencing his newfound defensive capabilities.
