Argentina captain Lionel Messi and French forward Kylian Mbappe have left an indelible mark on the legacy of FIFA World Cup 2022, Qatar. However, there were other players who dished out special and world-class performances. Here are eight such who deserve a standing ovation from the football world (Image: AP)
Emiliano Martinez | Team: Argentina | The Qatar World Cup will long be remembered for the goalkeeping heroics of Wojciech Szczęsny, Yassine Bounou, Dominik Livakovic and Emiliano Martinez. But of those four keepers, the one-shot stopper who made his stocks rise astronomically was Martinez. The Argentine keeper showed no signs of nerves in the penalty shoot-outs against the Netherlands and France. In fact, his body language oozed confidence in the most nerve-wracking part of those two games. Justifiably Martinez walked away with the Golden Glove award. If there is one person that Messi will be thanking the most in the locker-room, it sure will be this mercurial keeper. (Image: AP)
Enzo Fernandez | Team: Argentina | While England's Jude Bellingham or the Spanish duo of Gavi and Pedri were the early favourites to win the Young Player of the Tournament award, the award was eventually lapped up by Argentina's Enzo Fernandez. The 21-year-old showed his class with a worldly goal against Mexico in the group stage, which was his first senior goal for La Albiceleste. Fernandez then assisted in the next match against Poland. Such was his show leading up to the final that the rumour mills around his potential transfer from Benfica to a big club in the Premier League were ringing loud. (Image: AP)
Gonçalo Ramos | Team: Portugal | Portugal forward Gonçalo Ramos was a relatively unknown player before FIFA World Cup 2022. But former Portugal coach Fernando Santos brought the 21-year-old into the limelight when he decided to start Ramos in the playing XI and benched football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal's round of 16 tie against Switzerland. Ramos grabbed the opportunity with both hands as he fired in the tournament's first hat trick. Ramos finished his tournament with three goals and one assist but the world got a glimpse of the next big thing that could come out of Portugal. (Image: AP)
Olivier Giroud | Team: France | French veteran Olivier Giroud had a bittersweet FIFA World Cup 2022. The 2018 FIFA World Cup although France won but was a poor one for Giroud as he managed only two assists and no goal all through the tournament. But fast-forward four years later in Qatar, Giroud scored four goals. One of those four goals made him France's all-time leading goalscorer going past Thierry Henry. Giroud filled the role of a striker almost perfectly in the absence of Karim Benzema. At 36, there might not be another World Cup left in Giroud and the forward would have loved to round off with another World Cup title. But to be in the race for the prestigious Golden Boot award up until the final is no mean feat. (Image: AP)
Antoine Griezmann | Team: France | Antoine Griezman registered only 3 assists in the whole of the tournament but his effect on the French team cannot be understated. Playing behind the front three of Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud, and Ousmane Dembélé, Griezman controlled the game for France from mid-field. Before the World Cup, Griezmann got hardly any time to play for Atlético de Madrid. But lack of game time was no hindrance for Griezmann as he emerged as one of the shining stars of France's class of 2022. With his mid-field game, Griezmann highlighted that there is another side to his game than just being a striker or a forward. (Image: AP)
Hakim Ziyech | Team: Morocco | Morocco's semifinal run in the tournament is now the stuff of footballing folklore. Out of nowhere and overturning all the odds, the Atlas Lions became the first African nation to qualify for the semis of a FIFA World Cup tournament. One player who played a pivotal role in Morocco's great run in Qatar was attacking mid-fielder Hakim Ziyech. So important was Ziyech in Morocco's plans that he clocked 638 minutes in 7 matches that Morocco played in the tournament. In the group stage of the World Cup, Ziyech scored against Canada and assisted against Belgium. His consistent show won him the honour to lead Morocco in the third-place play-off against Croatia. What makes the 29-year-old's run in the World Cup worth mentioning is the fact that before the World Cup he hardly got game time with his club, Chelsea. (Image: AP)
Sofyan Amrabat | Team: Morocco | Another linchpin in the Moroccon team was mid-fielder Sofyan Amrabat. The 26-year-old was the mid-field engine for Morocco. Amrabat was clinical in his every outing at the World Cup but his showing in the quarterfinal against Portugal grew his aura in the tournament. Amrabat is perfect in the mid-field and has the superhuman tendency to play non-stop beyond 90 minutes. (Image: AP)
Joško Gvardiol | Team: Croatia | Croatian defender Joško Gvardiol could have the richest and the biggest football clubs come after him as early as the winter transfer window of the 2022-23 season of club football. The 20-year-old will be remembered as the "man in the mask" of the Qatar World Cup. Gvardiol became one of the break-out stars of the FIFA World Cup 2022. His performance was so ridiculously good in the tournament that when Messi outsmarted him in the semi-final to provide an assist, it made headlines! To cap off a wonderful tournament Gvardiol netted a goal in Croatia's third-place play-off game against Morocco. Keep an eye on Gvardiol and ignore him at your peril. (Image: AP)
(Edited by : Abhishek Jha)
First Published: Dec 19, 2022 5:11 PM IST
