World Cup 2022 Team of the Tournament: Our star players in Qatar
As FIFA ponder their official Team of the Tournament, we pull together our personal best line-up from the World Cup 2022.
The World Cup is (almost) over. The winter feast of football will soon sail into the distance and we'll all be forced to make do with Actual Christmas.
Before the chapter is closed, before the tournament is slotted into the archives of football history to gather decades of dust, we've got one last chance to celebrate the men who have stepped above and beyond the call of duty to warm up our days this winter.
Argentina and France are the standout teams of the tournament, but who would make your best XI from all players of all nations at the World Cup 2022.
RadioTimes.com brings you our personal World Cup 2022 Team of the Tournament. Do you agree? Of course you don't.
For more World Cup features check out: World Cup 2022 TV schedule | World Cup 2022 kits ranked | World Cup 2022 stadiums | Best players at the World Cup
World Cup Team of the Tournament
Unofficial. RadioTimes.com's Team of the Tournament.
GK: Dominik Livakovic (Croatia)
The Croatian keeper has been a match-winner for his nation during this tournament. He saved four penalties during shootouts in Qatar and produced a series of spellbinding saves against Brazil to get them to that stage in the first place. A revelation in the desert.
RB: Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)
Morocco kept four clean sheets in their opening five matches of the tournament, conceding only to Canada in a match they still won. And that was an own goal. Hakimi has been a major influence on the side as their most high-profile player. The dynamic, attacking full-back produced mature displays to pick and choose his moments to maraud forward.
CB: Josko Gvardiol (Croatia)
Mercifully, Gvardiol was wearing his mask after being slung around like a rag doll by Lionel Messi against Argentina so he can tell the grandkids it wasn't him. That should not be his legacy from this tournament, however. He has been the best defender at the World Cup 2022 and looks set to be the hottest property in world football coming out of it. His tackling has been pin-sharp, his aggression well measured and his confidence, at the age of just 20 against some of the best players in the world, will have attracted great attention.
CB: Romain Saiss (Morocco)
Who could have foreseen that one of the finest defenders in the world's finest tournament would have been a 32-year-old version of a Wolves cast-off? That may be slightly unfair, he has gone down as a firm Wolves hero following his six-year stint there, but he was tossed aside in the summer. Oh, how they may regret that decision now. Saiss was the heartbeat of a Moroccan backline that gave opponents less than crumbs to feed on.
LB: Theo Hernandez (France)
Hernandez has, like France, grown into this tournament with a string of assured performances. Only Bukayo Saka has given him any trouble in this tournament to date, though he will be the man tasked with shutting down Messi in the final. Hernandez has been solid defensively and picked up two assists and a goal going forward.
CM: Antoine Griezmann (France)
Who had 'Antoine Griezmann becomes prime Vieira' on their pre-tournament bingo cards? Not us. Griezmann, who has achieved little of note since hoisting the World Cup in 2018 has produced a magnificent run of form in the right place, at the right time, for France. His cool head and fantastic technical range has seen him bed down in the heart of midfield and dictate games with ease. He is yet to score in the tournament but three assists are testament to his work in the middle.
CM: Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco)
Every World Cup throws up an obscure player who will receive a mega money move off the back of it. Sofyan Amrabat is that man. Have you ever seen a player more destined for a £36m move to West Ham in January than Sofyan Amrabat? Worth it or not, you just know it's going to happen. Amrabat has been the lynchpin of Morocco's midfield, the man holding it all together at the heart of the operation.
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CM: Bruno Fernandes (Portugal)
The only player in our team outside of the four semi-finalists is a man criminally overshadowed by his twisty teammate, Cristiano Ronaldo. While the world's media honed their cameras on the unattached free agent, Manchester United's true Portuguese diamond was out there running the show for his nation. Fernandes wasn't at the World Cup for a long time, he was there for a good time. Three assists and two goals in four matches highlight his efforts in Qatar. An honourable mention for the third midfield spot in this XI: Jude Bellingham. His time will come.
RW: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
The Greatest of All Time. Next.
ST: Olivier Giroud (France)
Giroud has spent his whole career being under-appreciated by many who should know better. He isn't Thierry Henry, he isn't Didier Drogba, but in his own right, Giroud will go down as one of the greats. At this World Cup, Giroud broke Henry's record to become the top French goalscorer of all time with 53 strikes to his name, while his aerial ability, strength and work rate have all been pivotal as France have moved through the rounds.
LW: Kylian Mbappé (France)
It looked like Mbappé was going to dominate every minute of proceedings at this World Cup, though he has shown signs of mortality and slowed down in the knockout rounds. His five goals and two assists in three starts were simply outrageous, though he fired blanks against England and Morocco. Mbappé's shot power is unnerving, while he boasts greater acceleration off the mark than any player I can remember. A legend in the making.
Best defender: Josko Gvardiol
Best midfielder: Antoine Griezmann
Best forward: Lionel Messi
Check out our World Cup hub for all the latest from Qatar 2022, including match previews, predictions and analysis.
If you’re looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our Sport hub.
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Authors
Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.
