As we continue to edge ever closer to the beginning of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, we are dedicating a blog that lists the top 10 players to look out for throughout the tournament. This list is limited to ten, and it’s nowhere near exhaustive as it could be. There are plenty of other players that you need to keep an eye out for, but here we are going for those consistent performers that might make the difference throughout the entire tournament — not just the group stages.
The countdown is ticking down to zero as we move closer to November 20. It’s the first time that a World Cup is being held midway through the domestic leagues, and we are looking forward to the action and what changes this might bring to the overall football scene.
Let’s get right into the top 10 players who will feature in the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup:
Bruno Fernandes – Manchester United/Portugal
Personal Highlights – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUx7zoTY6Yo
The Portugal national team as a whole has shown great potential to compete on the biggest stage, and the FIFA World Cup definitely fits the bill. Their last success was at the Euros, when they defeated France in the final. Since then, Bruno Fernandes moved from his native Portugal club to Manchester United and had an instant impact. In his first season wearing Manchester Red, he was outstanding — scoring eight goals and providing seven assists in 14 games. His first full season in England again saw him excel in both goals and assists; he scored 18 goals and 11 assists in the Premier League alone, with his overall tally that year in all competitions being 28 goals and 17 assists — quite outstanding for an attacking midfielder. Some critics point out that he tries a lot of those Hollywood passes that, more often than not, don’t come off, but he is truly unplayableon his day. He also has some big hitters up top who will be eager to finish off his delicate passes in the form of Cristiano Ronaldo, Diogo Jota and Rafael Leao. He is well poised for a stellar tournament should he remain fit throughout the FIFA World Cup.
Kevin de Bruyne – Manchester City/Belgium
Personal Highlights – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4JSiGBOmxM
A man that makes Manchester City tick, he’s without a doubt the best attacking midfielder at the moment, with all the passes and progressive runs that he pulls off. Year on year, we see him put in some glorious performances and, now since the arrival of Erling Haaland to City, the partnership between the two is lethal. His international career, on the other hand, is yet to offer trophies for Kevin de Bruyne, as Belgium is yet to fulfill its goal of winning a tournament. Romelu Lukaku has to improve his tally since going back to Inter while Eden Hazard looks to be at his best after a string of injuries. Will the Qatar World Cup be the tournament where it all falls into place for the Belgian Red Devils?
Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United/Portugal
Personal Highlights – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAyEmVKY6ag
The last piece in his jigsaw puzzle — Cristiano Ronaldo has won it all, and only the FIFA World Cup remains. His first FIFA World Cup appearance was back in 2006, scoring once in six appearances. Like his compatriot Bruno Fernandes, he forms part of the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup team for Portugal. He is well in shape to compete against the best in the world, and he is regarded as the best player by many. His success in the competition relies mainly on his team’s ability to restrict the opposition from scoring and the ability to progress through the group stage. Portugal’s national team will focus their game plan around the abilities of Ronaldo, unlike the situation of the Red Devils and their new generation of football under Erik ten Hag. Still, one should not rule out the possibility of Cristiano Ronaldo stepping up and producing the goods for his national team.
Lionel Messi – PSG/Argentina
Personal Highlights – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26lbjn6zQWk
The Argentinian superstar is also missing one piece of silverware, which is the FIFA World Cup. In 2021 Lionel Messi managed to win the Copa America — a title that eluded him for so many years, finishing runners-up on three occasions. Argentina recently also won the one-off game named ‘The Finalissima’ against European Champions Italy and it was one-way traffic. Messi and his Argentinian squad have come agonisingly close to World Cup glory in 2014 when they lost out against Germany in the final. That year, Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball — an achievement last won by none other than Diego Armando Maradona. The technically gifted Argentinian will be gunning toward winning the third FIFA World Cup for his nation. For the upcoming World Cup, Messi will be eyeing the big prize to finish off his career with a bang.
Neymar JR. – PSG/Brazil
Personal Highlights – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVPd6zh3n2g
Neymar Jr. has been linked with a move away from PSG this year, but he stayed at the club and made a promise to the fans that all the balls that went wide last season will be on target this time around. He started well, to a point where PSG looks like a formidable team that could be taken seriously in the Champions League after losing out to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final of 2020. Neymar Jr. plays a key role in the Brazil team amongst other big stars, but now, he will be the senior figure in a relatively young squad. He has not had his luck in major tournaments with injuries, but he is putting in some impressive performances this season that will make his nation keener on Brazil pushing on to the latter stages of the World Cup once again. Will it be Brazil’s World Cup once again?
Son Heung Min – Tottenham/South Korea
Personal Highlights – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWH68Q3HDg8
The South Korean talisman is surely a player to keep an eye out for in the Middle East next November. His goalscoring ability in the Premier League is impeccable, and his national team will be depending on those strikes to propel them out of the group stages. With Spurs last season, he managed to equal the 23-goal tally of Mo Salah without scoring a penalty. His partnership with Harry Kane plays a pivotal role in Tottenham’s success and also for the players. On the international level, he is yet to make a mark, lacking the reinforcements in other areas of the pitch to compete with the best. In the 2018 World Cup, Son scored twice, with both goals coming late on in the matches, but he will surely remember the strike in the 96th minute against the reigning world Champions to seal one of the biggest and most memorable victories in their World Cup history. He will undoubtedly produce a highlight or two in the upcoming World Cup.
Virgil van Dijk – Liverpool/Netherlands
Personal Highlights – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-oTyz202r8
The Netherlands, one of the household names in the World Cup group stages, returns after missing out on the action in the FIFA World Cup in 2018. Virgil van Dijk will lead his team to the World Cup as he marshals the defence together with Stefan de Vrij. Virgil van Dijk is that kind of defender that could win you games by a last-ditch tackle and setting off a counter-attacking move, as he does with his club, Liverpool. Liverpool’s success mainly originated from the solid defence that Van Dijk commanded together with his authority and precision with which he distributes the ball to the wing-backs. Ever since his big-money move to Liverpool, the Dutch centre-back transformed into a world-class defender that every striker in the world would struggle to get away from him. Will he be the man to lead the Netherlands national team to their first-ever World Cup triumph?
Sadio Mane – Bayern Munich/Senegal
Personal Highlights – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsHoeAjzsnE
The Senegal international made the move to Bayern Munich after his relationship with manager Jurgen Klopp and forward partner Mo Salah started deteriorating. His time in the Premier League was filled with goals, and he has shown the world what a great player he is by winning the Champions League. One of his special goals in the Champions League was, in fact, against Bayern Munich. Ironic. He has really hit the ground running in the opening game for the German club with a goal and the DFL Supercup trophy. With the Senegal National team last year, he managed to win the African Cup of Nations, beating rivals Egypt in the Final. The Lions of Teranga will be featuring for the third time in the group stages of the FIFA World Cup, and they have a good chance of making it out of the group as they face Qatar, Ecuador, and the Netherlands, with Sadio Mane their main weapon.
Kylian Mbappe – PSG/France
Personal Highlights – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omlWuLD5SXk
World football saw Kylian Mbappe rise to the occasion in the last World Cup when he starred in France’s glorious run in the World Cup. He managed to score a total of four goals which were vital for the team’s push towards the final. The French National team registered their second World Cup triumph, and with the talent, on display, they will have a huge chance of making it a third in Qatar. The PSG star bagged the Player of the Year award whilst finishing the season as the top goalscorer with a whopping 33 goals. A quite astonishing tally for the 22-year-old whose best years seem to be yet to come. His international career took off in incredible fashion, winning the World Cup on the first attempt.
Harry Kane – Tottenham/England
Personal Highlights – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G9-AvuEqtw
Harry Kane is widely regarded as one of the world’s best strikers, and in recent seasons, he was linked with a move away from Tottenham — but that move never materliased. England came very close to winning a tournament, as they reached the final of the Euros but lost out to Italy. Harry Kane and his teammates have pushed to notch their names in history as the last time that an England squad won a tournament ranges back to 1966. The Three Lions will rely on Kane’s ability to be in the right position at the right time, which is a trait that every world-class striker possesses.
World Cup Outright Betting
Brazil are the outright favourites to win the tournament as they are priced 21/4 (6.25), with France at 27/4 (7.75) to make it back-to-back wins in the World Cup. England are priced at 25/4 (7.25) and Argentina are at 8/1 (9.00).