which take into account every shot-based and non-shot based action a player makes in a football match, we select a 2022 World Cup data-driven Team of the Tournament, and while there are a few surprises, the big hitters still feature
  • Team selected before the World Cup final

  • Argentina and Messi deliver for Sporting Life followers

    , while proving key to an Argentine defence that has kept clean sheets in half of their six games.

    Centre-back - Harry Maguire (England)

    Despite the negativity around Harry Maguire pre-tournament, the Manchester United defender performed excellently in Qatar, posting the highest Infogol player rating of any centre-back with 7.25.

    Not only did he contribute three clean sheets for the Three Lions, but he was a threat at the other end of the pitch too, taking .

    Centre-back - Ibrahima Konate (France)

    Despite featuring in only four matches for finalists France, Konate has looked much more assured than his counterparts and has posted the second highest rating of any centre-back.

    He has also been a threat from attacking set-pieces, .

    Left-back - Theo Hernandez (France)

    .

    Centre-midfield - Casemiro (Brazil)

    In terms of midfielders, there weren't many at the tournament who performed well according to Infogol's metric, but Brazil's key midfield cog Casemiro did.

    He averaged 2.56 tackles per game, impressing on the defensive end, while he also scored the match-winner against Switzerland to ensure his side finished top of the group.

    Centre-midfield - Bruno Fernandes (Portugal)

    .

    Attacking-midfield - Neymar Jr (Brazil)

    Neymar missed two of his nations games through injury, but in his limited minutes, he really did shine.

    Two goals and one assists, including the wonderous go-ahead strike against Croatia in the quarter-finals, is a decent return from 294 minutes of football, with his .

    Right wing - Lionel Messi (Argentina)

    , so there has been no overperformance on underlying numbers. His xGI/95 of 1.24 is big, and the Argentine has posted the best Infogol player rating of anyone at the World Cup - 8.69.

    Left wing - Kylian Mbappe (France)

    Messi's PSG teammate, Kylian Mbappe has also had a stellar tournament, with opponents struggling to deal with his pace and directness.

    Five goals an two assists heading into the final, he has led France to within one game of a the historical achievement of retaining the World Cup. Averaging , his sheer presence has petrified opponents, and meant his teammates have had more space to thrive.

    Striker - Olivier Giroud (France)

    The forgotten man at the start of this tournament, Olivier Giroud has made his mark in Qatar. The AC Milan striker was supposed to be playing second-fiddle to Karim Benzema, but the Real Madrid striker's injury meant he was to be relied upon again.

    Not only has he scored , but in doing so he became France's all-time top scorer, surpassing Thierry Henry. With a World Cup rating of 8.10, he was the best performing striker in Qatar.


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