In the words of FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, World Cup 2022 was the ‘best World Cup ever’ and he had many compelling arguments in his favour.
For over the past month this tournament has provided so many moments to enjoy from sensational Saudi Arabia upsetting the eventual winners to an incredible night in Group E.
Indeed, from start to finish we had talking points galore, World Cup 2022 highlights and results and performances which defied the World Cup 2022 betting odds.
In fact, if anything for this SBOTOP writer, the first 75 minutes of the final were the only letdown as one nation turned up and the other didn’t.
Yet then we got the conclusion to the tournament it deserved and, arguably, the best World Cup final in living memory.
Ultimately, Argentina’s dream was one for the ages (secured on penalties), while France’s sluggishness may be regretted for years to come by those with an allegiance to Les Bleus.
But who shone on an individual basis?
Player of the tournament
Kylian Mbappe, without question.
Lionel Messi may have won the official FIFA award but there is no denying that the prodigious French starlet was the best player on show in Qatar.
The brilliant Mbappe became the first player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final since England’s Sir Geoff Hurst in 1966, netting a quick-fire double – just 97 seconds apart – to take the game into extra time where he added another.
At one point it appeared Les Bleus would relinquish their grip on the trophy without so much as a whimper. Then Mbappe took over.
He may have been named the Silver Ball winner as the second-best player in the tournament, behind Messi, the official award full of romance as the diminutive great reached the zenith in a glittering career.
Overall, though, few could touch Mbappe for sheer class in this tournament and, at the end of a truly epic final, he deserved more than the individual accolade he collected as Golden Boot winner.
His eight goals took his total tally of World Cup goals to 12, becoming the youngest player to reach double figures in the competition.
In the process he joined Brazil’s Vava and Pele, West Germany’s Paul Breitner and France’s Zinedine Zidane as the only players to score in multiple World Cup finals.
The greater prize may have slipped from his grasp – Argentina also took the other official awards with goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez winning the Golden Glove award and midfielder Enzo Fernandez named Young Player of the Tournament – but Mbappe had reminded the world of his immense talent and is surely the heir to the throne of world number one after two decades dominated by Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Goal(s) of the tournament
There were a number of contenders but for me two goals should share the award, the of the Brazilian’s, 2022 style, and a throwback to the ‘total football’ of Holland.
Richarlison v Serbia
In a stunning Selecao team move, Richarlison controlled the ball three times with his head and foot before getting into position to take Thiago Silva’s pass in his stride and finish. This was so much of what you associate with Brazil.
Memphis Depay v USA
To watch the steady build-up of possession and finish was reminiscent of great Dutch sides of the past.
Total football from Louis van Gaal’s men who played out from defence before Depay applied the deadly finish that their 20-pass move deserved.
Unsung hero
Well, it could have been anyone and everyone from Morocco who were a breath of fresh air.
The success of the Atlas Lions at this World Cup hasn’t been a fluke. As the head coach, Walid Regragui, pointed out, the country and its king have long been working to better its performance at the sport.
The Mohammed VI Football Academy was launched in 2009 and counts several of the squad’s current players as alumni. This isn’t just a story of bright boys going to train abroad then coming back to reap the benefits, but a triumph of homegrown talent, too.
Special achievement award
In any other year, Japan would have been the toast of the tournament.
In any other year, they would have been everyone’s favourite underdogs.
What the Samurai Blue achieved was nothing short of sensational, defeating previous world champions Germany and Spain and displaying a character and relentlessness which was impossible not to admire.
That they came from behind to beat those established giants of the international game and did so with only 27% possession (against Germany) and 18% (against Spain) – the lowest figure in a World Cup match since 1966 – just added to the story, even if it did take one of the most questionable decisions I have ever seen to see them through.
Japan went all the way with Croatia in the last 16 too, before being defeated on penalties. They will come again.
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