Four Moroccans, four French, two Croats and an Argentinian, the four semi-finalists are the only nations represented in the typical team of Parisian internet users.
Generally speaking, the players were chosen with a fairly large margin.
Only Romain Saïss and Olivier Giroud were worried by Dayot Upamecano, Raphaël Varane and Julian Alvarez.
Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi are the most popular.
A balanced team, strong offensively and solid defensively, which would necessarily go very far in a World Cup.
Goalkeeper: Yassine Bounou (Morocco)
Before the semi-finals, only Nayef Aguerd had managed to deceive his goalkeeper, by deflecting a Canadian strike against his side.
If he was less inspired against the Blues, Yassine Bounou was the symbol of the solidity of the Atlas Lions.
The three
clean sheets
achieved by the goalkeeper are also a collective performance, but “Bono” was especially decisive during the penalty shootout against Spain (0-0, 3-0 on pens).
The Sevilla goalkeeper made two saves to send Morocco into the quarterfinals, where he prevented Portugal from equalizing (1-0).
Right defender: Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)
Tireless in his right lane, Achraf Hakimi guided Morocco towards the most beautiful epic of an African country in the World Cup.
Author of a decisive pass, the right side of PSG was also decisive against Spain.
The 24-year-old definitely turned the Atlas Lions adventure into madness, scoring a panenka against Unai Simon for the last shot on goal of the session.
Lots of composure and a celebration of the "penguin" to complete his work.
Achraf Hakimi (shirt no. 2) qualified Morocco for the quarter-finals by scoring the decisive shot on goal against Spain.
Icon Sport/Anthony Dibon
Central defender: Josko Gvardiol (Croatia)
The revelation of the World as a central defender.
Josko Gvardiol immediately stood out thanks to his black mask.
Despite his broken nose, the Leipzig defender demonstrated his composure on the restart and in the penalty area.
Rather than that of the helmeted avenger, he donned the fireman's panoply to extinguish fires in the Croatian zone of truth.
Especially against Belgium in a last group match where he disgusted Romelu Lukaku.
A goal in the small final won against Morocco (2-1) to crown his beautiful tournament and that of the Vatreni.
Central defender: Romain Saïss (Morocco)
The courageous captain of the Moroccan selection.
Crippled with cramp against Spain, bandaged in the thigh, Romain Saïss had to resolve to leave his partners during the match against Portugal.
A sign of his importance in defense, he was fielded by Walid Regragui against France, but the Besiktas player left in the 21st minute.
Despite this constrained reduction in playing time, Saïss's concentration, placement and combativeness convinced Internet users to reserve a place for him in the eleven.
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Left defender: Theo Hernandez
Despite a delicate final, Théo Hernandez brought many solutions to the Blues during the tournament.
His climbs offered width to the French team and openings to Kylian Mbappé.
Professional piston, the Milanese limited the breakage defensively.
Lining for his brother Lucas, he was propelled left side number 1 from the 13th minute of the World Cup following the injury of his eldest.
Théo served two caviars in his first two games before opening the scoring against Morocco in the semi-finals, unlocking a game that was supposed to be closed.
THEO, 𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘪𝘳𝘦, HERNANDEZ 🥋
🇫🇷1-0🇲🇦 |
#FRAMAR |
#ProudofBleus pic.twitter.com/YOgFsPobhv
- French team ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) December 14, 2022
Defensive Midfielder: Sofyan Amrabat
Morocco has just written the most beautiful page in its history and that of African football.
A fourth place, after having eliminated Spain in the 8th and Portugal in the quarters, at the end of a campaign during which many Moroccan players were revealed.
The one who has marked you the most, apart from Achraf Hakimi who we already know very well, is Sofyan Amrabat, a 26-year-old midfielder who plays for Fiorentina.
Very good in defense, able to organize the game of his team, Sofyan Amrabat seduced by his versatility and his volume of activity on the ground.
Midfielder: Antoine Griezmann
The best non-scorer of this World Cup.
In midfield, the Frenchman has reinvented himself in a position that is not his.
Organization of the game, mastery of the tempo, Grizou showed all the offensive panoply that we knew of him, and became the best passer in the history of the Blues with 28 offerings.
But he also turned into a tireless defender, very often finding himself in his area in the weak moments of the Blues, especially against Morocco.
PODCAST.
Antoine Griezmann, a Golden Blue
Attacking midfielder: Luka Modric
The years pass but Luka Modric does not age.
Best player of the 2018 World Cup, Ballon d'Or the same year, we did not see him coming back so high after the defeat in the final against France.
But when Ivan Rakitic, Mario Mandzukic or Danijel Subasic have all retired from international football, he is still, at 37, the best Croatian player.
And he took his nation to 3rd place, after a too difficult semi-final against the future winner, Argentina.
It was perhaps his last international competition, and Croatia will have a hard time recovering from it.
After guiding the Croats to the final four years ago, Luka Modric led his team this time to victory in the small final.
DeFodi Images/Icon Sport
Attacker: Kylian Mbappe
The player you voted for the most, with 91% of the vote.
And for good reason, the French striker dazzled the World Cup with his talent, until the end of the final.
Eight goals in a single edition, a record since Ronaldo in 2002, and obviously a hat-trick in the final.
He carried the Blues on his back, from Australia to Argentina, via Poland which could not resist him.
Kylian Mbappé finishes top scorer in the competition and already has twelve goals in two World Cups.
The future of French and international football seems to be in his hands.
Read also“Today, he is number 1 everywhere”: Kylian Mbappé, the world belongs to him
Attacker: Lionel Messi
Is it very useful to recall the performances of Lionel Messi in this World Cup?
The man who had the most pressure, on whom the whole world or almost counted to finally win, responded present, and in what way.
Best player in the competition, and in a final in which he scored twice, the Argentinian has just won the only trophy he lacked.
He is the new king of the world, perhaps the greatest player in history.
Lionel Messi is finally in Argentine hearts, like his idol Diego Maradona.
Centre-forward: Olivier Giroud
Four goals, an absolute record: Olivier Giroud succeeded in his World Cup, becoming the top scorer in the history of the France team.
53 goals, two more than Thierry Henry, including an absolutely crucial one in the quarter-final against England.
Olivier Giroud unfortunately did not weigh on the final against Argentina, released before half-time like Ousmane Dembélé.
With 33% of the votes, it is the least unanimous vote of this selection.
He is nevertheless ahead of the Argentinian Julian Alvarez, the other center forward who could claim a place in this eleven.