What a pitiful way for the World Cup to end. Last night’s final felt like an affront to everything that had led up to it (including a horribly garish, overlong halftime show that sucked more energy out of the room).
Scaloni’s Argentina were in full spoiler mode while Spain couldn’t find their fluidity, making for one of the drabbest spectacles you could wish to see. So, instead on wallowing on that snoozefest, here are my selections for the team of the tournament (I have opted for a typical 4-2-3-1 formation).
Goalkeeper- Vozinha (Cape Verde)
People can sometimes get carried away with the fairytale stories (everyone loves an underdog). But there is real substance to the Vozinha hype-machine. The 40-year-old Cape Verde keeper was superb in between the sticks, somehow shutting out Spain before making eight brilliant saves in their valiant Round of 32 defeat to Argentina. He elevated his game in the massive moments, becoming a national hero (and social media darling) through his efforts against the two finalists.
Right-back- Pedro Porro (Spain)
Well, colour me surprised. I don’t think anyone thought that Pedro Porro would emerge as the ironclad best right-back of the tournament. Hakimi was once again excellent, propelling Morocco in yet another major tournament. But Spurs’ mercurial Spainard was an absolute beast in that right-back role, making excellent recovery runs while also contributing two goals to the Spanish cause. Porro and Spurs teammate Cristian Romero defied expectations to show that the Spursy gene can be overcome at international level.
Centre-backs- Aymeric Laporte (Spain) and Dayot Upamecano (France)
There was no way that a 32-year-old Aymeric Laporte could rise to the occasion after playing three years in the Saudi League. Right? Wrong. The former Manchester City central-defender has been the backbone of Spain’s much-vaunted defensive lineup, forming a sensational partnership with prodigious Barca talent Pau Cubarsi. Laporte has been the ultimate Jedi Master to Padawan Cubarsi, showing incredible positional awareness throughout the tournament.
Dayot Upamecano is never going to be everyone’s cup of tea. The Bayern hardman isn’t the most elegant of defenders, often bulldozing his way out of compromising scenarios. But he was far and away France’s most consistent defender throughout this year’s World Cup, starting seven matches and keeping four clean sheets (just look what happened when he didn’t start in that absurd 3rd/4th playoff match). He was always near the top of the interception charts and had to cover for some shaky fullbacks. Sure, he couldn’t stop in Spain the semifinal. But most of that carnage came through that exposed left-hand side.
Left-back- Marc Cucurella (Spain)
Real Madrid-bound Cucurella has never been a personal favourite of mine. He’s so overwhelmingly left-footed that it makes his decisions (and movement) too easy to telegraph. But that doesn’t really matter when you play in this Spanish side. Cucurella revelled in this Spanish possession-hogging juggernaut, rampaging down that left-hand side while providing heroic, last-gasp cover on numerous occasions. He was the ultimate outlet for the Spanish midfield, picking up those two assists against Austria.
CDM- Rodri (Spain)
The lynchpin in Spain’s title-winning run, Rodri looked completely reenergized this entire tournament. He hasn’t looked the same player for Manchester City since returning from that anterior cruciate ligament injury. But he found his mojo anchoring Spain’s midfield, dictating the tempo of play while putting out any potential fires. He moved in that wonderfully languid way of his throughout the tournament, recalling Sergio Busquets in his pomp.
No.8- Enzo Fernandez (Argentina)
Sure, it’s easy to cast Enzo has the villain of the entire piece. His red card in last night’s final essentially ended the game as a contest. Argentina were struggling to string three passes together with eleven men; going down to ten men was a death penalty. But they wouldn’t have been in that final were it not for the courageous, lung-busting efforts of their box-to-box terrier. He scored the stoppage-time winner against Egypt before popping up with a cracking equalizer in their epic semifinal win over the English.
LW- Vini Jr (Brazil)
For me, Vini Jr was far and away the most exciting left-winger in the tournament (Mbappe did nominally play as the no.9). The Brazilian was kinetic throughout Brazil’s underwhelming run, scoring four goals and assisting another in a fearsome display of pyrotechnic wing wizardry. I don’t think that Carlo Ancelotti could have asked for much more from the one true genius of this subdued era of Brazilian football.
No.10- Jude Bellingham (England)
There is a strong argument to be made that Jude Bellingham has already surpassed Gary Lineker and teammate Harry Kane to become England’s best big-tourney player (post-1966). The combative, versatile Real Madrid star was England’s midfield talisman, forming a near-telepathic link with Harry Kane that helped them through some hairy situations. Bellingham scored seven goals from midfield this tournament, eclipsing James Rodrguez’s 2014 record for most goals scored by a midfielder in a single World Cup. Sure, he isn’t the classical, David Silva-style no.10 who drifts in and out of the game like a ghost. But he brought the type of big-game aura that is otherwise lacking in Tuchel’s squad.
RW: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
That was a slightly ignominious way for Messi’s World Cup journey to end. Messi cut a frustrated, disconsolate figure last night, failing to make any impression in a match where he was starved of the football. You could make an argument that Scaloni should have possibly replaced him after the Enzo incident (they were essentially down to nine men out of possession). But let’s just look at the bigger picture. Messi almost single-handedly propelled Argentina’s campaign, coming up trumps time and time again in an inspirational act of rebellion against Father Time.
FW: Kylian Mbappe (France)
Kylian Mbappe’s place in the pantheon of all-time greats is a debatable one (he has no Champions League titles and is yet to win a major trophy with the biggest side in European football). But his World Cup pedigree is absolutely beyond reproach. The lightning-quick Frenchman was at it again in that meaningless 3rd/4th playoff match, scoring a brace to make it ten goals in this tournament alone! In the process, Mbappe became the highest goalscorer in the history of the tournament, surpassing the iconic Messi with many more World Cup games to come. Mbappe also showed his more creative side in this tournament, crafting three assists to highlight his all-round improvements.
