That’s it, the World Cup is done and dusted and what a sight it was to behold to witness Lionel Messi lift football’s most sought-after prize. After his glorious career and what he has done for the beautiful game, arguably no individual player has deserved to become a world champion more than him.
With the tournament wrapped up like our Christmas presents, it is time to reflect on the past four weeks of action by looking at the Team of the Tournament based on WhoScored.com’s average match ratings.
Goalkeeper - Dominik Livakovic (Croatia) 6.99
It is very difficult to argue against the Croatian shot-stopper's place in this team because he has enjoyed a remarkable campaign in Qatar. No goalkeeper in the tournament made more saves than his 25, and he made himself the hero in his side’s two penalty shoot-out triumphs saving four - also the most in the tournament.
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Right-back - Achraf Hakimi (Morocco) 7.04
As a result of Morocco making history by becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-finals, it felt inevitable that one of the Atlas Lions would make their way into this lineup. Hakimi helped his side keep four clean sheets in their mesmerising run and no one made more than his total of 26 tackles. He was also effective going forward, registering one assist, creating six chances, and who can forget his winning penalty in the shoot-out against Spain?
Centre-back - Thiago Silva (Brazil) 7.07
He may be 38 years of age, but Silva is continuing to show that he has what it takes to deliver on the biggest stage of all as he proved to be one of A Selecao’s most consistent performers at the World Cup. The veteran wasn’t dribbled past once and he boasted a 93.6% pass success rate.
Centre-back - Harry Maguire (England) 7.35
Once again, Maguire thrived in an England shirt as he was a colossal presence in the back line for the Three Lions. While it comes as no surprise, this occasion is arguably his greatest triumph for England due to his game time at Manchester United becoming even more limited this season. To emphasise how reliable he was for England this tournament, he was only dribbled past once in his five appearances.
Left-back - Theo Hernandez (France) 7.22
Thrown into the deep end having been the understudy for his brother Lucas, Theo adjusted quickly to become Les Bleus' starting left-back and was a reliable performer in defence and attack, as he scored once and registered two assists. Only Antoine Griezmann (22) and Lionel Messi (21) made more key passes then him in Qatar this winter.
Central midfielder - Jude Bellingham (England) 7.58
It may not have been the tournament to remember for England but this young man certainly did his best to make it memorable. Bellingham was able to ooze class on the world stage to further add to the speculation surrounding his future. He was one of Gareth Southgate’s leading men and he is still a teenager. England undoubtedly have one of the best midfielders on their hands for the next 10-15 years. He capped off his World Cup debut with a goal and an assist.
Central midfielder - Casemiro (Brazil) 7.53
Brazil failed to live up to the hype of tournament favourites but Casemiro was one of their star players. Although he was playing deeper in midfield, it was usually through him that Brazil’s attacks were sprung while still fulfilling his duties as the defensive shield with 11 tackles and seven interceptions across the competition. Casmerio even got on the scoresheet with his match-winning strike against Switzerland.
Central midfielder - Antoine Griezmann (France) 7.52
The petit French star was one of Didier Deschamps’ key figures in their run to the final. Griezmann played a lot deeper than we were used to seeing him, but it saw him dictate matches with his precise passing and incredible movement. He also took on the roles of helping out defensively and executed them perfectly. His three assists were the joint-most in Qatar.
Right winger - Bruno Fernandes (Portugal) 8.15
Portugal may have had Cristiano Ronaldo in their ranks but their biggest asset at this World Cup was undoubtedly Fernandes. The Manchester United star scored twice and grabbed three assists in what was a great individual campaign for the attacking midfielder. If he can take his World Cup form with him back to Old Trafford then Erik ten Hag will be a very happy man.
Left winger - Kylian Mbappe (France) 8.00
Eight. Eight goals is what Mbappe finished the tournament with in Qatar to win him the Golden Boot. The Frenchman may have fallen just short of a second World Cup title but, at 23, he already has one trophy in the bag along with 12 goals at tournament finals. Mbappe also registered two assists and no one completed more dribbles than his staggering total of 25.
Forward - Lionel Messi (Argentina) 8.25
A World Cup winner at last. The Golden Ball winner and an individual campaign that was one of the best we’ve ever seen on this stage, there was no way Messi wasn’t getting into this list. He missed out on the Golden Boot by one goal as he racked up seven for La Albiceleste, along with three assists. Messi’s star quality shone through in Qatar as he rolled back the years with some of his sorcery and the footballing world is quite rightly celebrating his triumph.
