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Bellingham joins Messi, Mbappe and Griezmann - World Cup team of the tournament

talksport.com, 19 December 2022, 08:43
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was steeped in skepticism due to off-field matters, but on the pitch it was one of the great tournaments in recent memory.

Argentina lifted the crown after their thrilling penalty shootout victory over France in the showpiece event that is widely considered the best final of all time.

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The rest of the tournament was pretty special too. Brazil, Portugal and England all showed glimpses of their undoubted talent.

Morocco, Japan and Senegal all punched above their weight as they moved towards the latter stages of the competition.

Even some of the tournament's minnows enjoyed their moment as well, with Saudi Arabia beating Argentina, Tunisia beating France and Japan beating Germany to ensure that the group stages were filled with shock results.

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But as well as some notable team performances, it was the individual displays of the world's best individuals which is what convinced fans to tune in all around the world.

So who were the top performing stars in Qatar?

Here is the 2022 World Cup Team of the Tournament, as picked by the team at talkSPORT.com.

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Goalkeeper: Dominik Livakovic (Croatia)

The Dinamo Zagreb star has undoubtedly been one of the top goalkeepers in the competition.

Despite conceding three times in a Lionel Messi masterclass in the semi-finals, Livakovic conceded just once in the group stage as Croatia cruised into the knockout rounds.

His biggest achievement, however, was to save a staggering three penalties in the shootout with Japan in the last-16, before making an other save in the quarter-final shootout with Brazil in the quarter-finals.

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Right-back: Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)

The World Cup's biggest success story has undoubtedly been Morocco.

They were tipped to be eliminated in the group stage but the African nation made it all the way to the semi-finals, conceding a single goal before being beaten 2-0 by France.

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In Paris Saint-Germain star Hakimi, Morocco had a player who was capable of defending at the highest level, while also looking mightily impressive as he drove forward down the right flank.

Centre-back: Raphael Varane (France)

Much of France's success at the World Cup has been down to their attacking players, but Varane deserves credit too.

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The Manchester United star was the man responsible for orchestrating Didier Deschamps' back line as they largely nullified their opponent's attacking stars by conceding less than a goal per game on average.

One of more experienced players in France's squad, Varane was key to ensuring they reached the final.

Centre-back: Josko Gvardiol (Croatia)

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Arguably the most exciting young player on display in Qatar.

The RB Leipzig defender is being heavily linked with a move to one of the Premier League's biggest clubs and it's no surprise after his dominant displays in Croatia's defence.

With a mask that made him look like Zorro, Gvardiol will be hoping that this is just the first of many dominant World Cup displays in his fledgling career.

He even scored in the third-place play-off.

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Left-back: Theo Hernandez (France)

One of France's most underrated performers at the World Cup, for sure.

The AC Milan star has starred for Les Bleus with dominating performances and ensuring their backline is protected at all times.

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And all after witnessing his brother suffer a horrible ACL injury.

With the attack-minded Kylian Mbappe playing in front of him, it's worth noting just how impressive those defensive displays have been with precious little cover in front of him.

Central midfield: Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco)

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One of the World Cup's most impressive performers, despite being something of an unknown.

Amrabat was the beating heart of Morocco's team that made it all the way to the semi-finals, dictating play and putting in some crunching tackles along the way.

With his performance against Spain being a particular highlight, it's no surprise that the Fiorentina star is now attracting the interest of clubs such as Tottenham and Liverpool.

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Central midfield: Jude Bellingham (England)

How could we possibly ignore England's boy wonder?

Bellingham is widely regarded as one of the best young players in Europe with his Dortmund displays attracting interest from all of the continent's biggest clubs.

However, the 19-year-old has now shown his leadership credentials at international level with some stunning displays on the biggest stage of all.

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As well as netting his first goal for the Three Lions, Bellingham is a future England captain, for sure.

Right-wing: Lionel Messi (Argentina)

This man just had to be included for the way that he dragged Argentina through the tournament.

While some predicted that Messi could struggle in Qatar, the 35-year-old proved that age is but a number after taking the competition by storm and putting in the sort of performances that others can only dream of.

He scored twice in the final, then scored in the shootout, as he picked up his second World Cup Golden Ball award.

Attacking midfielder: Antoine Griezmann (France)

The player who was responsible for making France tick as they swept teams aside at the World Cup.

The Atletico Madrid star hasn't played heaps of football for his club this term, but that didn't matter as he orchestrated some glorious attacking play.

Occupying a deeper role, Griezmann bagged three assists and allowed the likes of Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Olivier Giroud to shine and take the headlines around him.

Left-wing: Kylian Mbappe (France)

The Paris Saint-Germain superstar has certainly proved himself as one of the world's best players with his displays at the World Cup.

Having bagged five goals and two assists before the final, Mbappe has wreaked havoc on opposition defences with his pace, power and clinical finishing.

After winning the World Cup in 2018 with Les Bleus, Mbappe did just about everything possible to make it back-to-back titles.

The 23-year-old scored a hat-trick in the final in the losing cause, and pipped Messi to the Golden Boot as he finished on eight goals.

Striker: Olivier Giroud (France)

Many expected the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele to steal the show for France, but the experienced striker was every bit as dangerous as his teammates.

The 36-year-old led the line for Les Bleus in Qatar and bagged four goals in five games before the final, taking the record of becoming France's all-time top goalscorer.

While Didier Deschamps' side have some of the best, young attacking talent on the planet, they'll have learned heaps playing alongside the former Chelsea and Arsenal striker in what will surely be his last World Cup.

His final ended in misery, though, as Deschamps hauled him off before half-time with France 2-0 down.

That still does not take away his brilliant performances on his way to the showpiece event.

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