Although football is a team game, there have been a few individual performances over the group stages and the round of 16 that have been quite outstanding.
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The 2022 FIFA World Cup has been one of the most unpredictable in recent history. As heavyweights like Germany, Spain and Belgium have made their exit before the quarter-final final stage, smaller footballing nations like Morocco and Japan have made an indelible mark on the tournament’s history. The last eight is set to begin on Friday with two blockbuster clashes. Brazil will take on Croatia in the first match of the day, followed by Argentina’s bout against The Netherlands. The biggest fixture of the last eight is undeniably France vs England. Both teams as strong favourites to reach the final but one of them will be dealt a knockout blow.
Although football is a team game, there have been a few individual performances over the group stages and the round of 16 that have been quite outstanding. The world cup is football’s biggest stage and only the cream of the lot stand out. So, one can safely assume that these players could very well go on the become the MVPs of the tournament. Without further ado, here are some of the best players of the FIFA World Cup 2022 until the round of 16 stage.
Sevilla FC goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was always a fine goalkeeper, tall and quick, the perfect combination. But the world cup has really brought his skills to the limelight like never before. Throughout the group stages, Bounou stood like a rock as the last line of Moroccan defence. He has conceded only one goal in four matches and is a contender for the golden glove award. His latest heroics came against Spain in the round of 16. Not only did the Moroccan pull off some fantastic saves during the full 120 minutes of a match that ended 0-0, but he also saved two spot kicks in the shootout to help his team through to the last eight for the first time.
Manchester City defender John Stones has proven to be an incredibly tough opponent to get past so far in the competition. The Englishman’s partnership with Harry Maguire in the middle of the three lions’ defence has been quite exceptional and even a team as prolific as France would have a hard time breaking him down. England have not conceded a single goal since their 6-2 victory over Iran in their first match and Stones has played a central role in that. Should the world cup finally ‘come home’, Stones’ performances will play a massive part.
If there has been one thing that has clicked in Portugal’s midfield, it was Bruno Fernandes’ understanding of the game and his ability to pick out the crucial passes. The Manchester United midfielder has been a consistent threat to other teams in the middle of the park and is arguably the heartbeat of the Portuguese team. His form is such that fans expect him to dominate the midfield, even against world class midfielders. He has been involved five goal-scoring moves with three assists and two finishes so far.
With five goals to his name already, Kylian Mbappe is in the hot seat to win the golden boot this time around at the world cup. The PSG man has been in scintillating form at the competition and is showing no signs of slowing down. He will have a tougher time against England but it will be difficult to stop him if he finds his rhythm. Mbappe also has two assists to his name.
