World Cup 2022 is one week away, and Qatar is completely in the footballing vibe. 32 World Class teams looking to win their first while a few are looking to add their glorious tally. Brazil sits at the top with 5 World Cups, Germany and Italy are in close seconds with 4, while Argentina, France, and Uruguay have 2 each and Spain & England have 1 each. France will go in as the defending Champions as tournament favorites with one of the most overloaded squads in every position alongside the likes of England and Brazil. While we can’t tell who will be the one lifting the trophy, these are a few players we are pretty sure will have one of the best World Cup performances. There have been several players who have created their name & hype from World Cup. Fabien Barthez at the 1998 World Cup, Fabio Cannavaro & Ronaldo at the 2002 World Cup, Cesc Fabregas & Lukas Podolski in 2006, Thoman Muller in 2010, James Rodriguez in 2014, and Kylian Mbappe in 2018 are just a few names. This time won’t be any different either, with several teams such as England, Spain, and Brazil all filled with a bunch of young players, these are our 5 picks for the Ones to Watch.
1. Joshua Kimmich (Germany/Bayern Munich)
Phillip Lahm’s successor at both club and country at 27 years of age will be going in his 2nd World Cup, and he would like to forget his first in 2018 where Germany got grouped. One of the best players in his position at the club level needs to emulate his performances on the national level. While his position will be Defensive Midfielder, he is capable of playing in other roles as well such as Right Back, which in his own words, he hates playing at, and in a more attacking role at No. 8, if required. While his defensive stats are at par with some of the best of all time, what makes him even more lethal is his attacking game. For starters, this season alone in 23 games he has played for Bayern Munich across Europe, he has scored 3 goals and registered 6 assists. In his career starting with VfB Stuggart academy and RB Leipzig academy & senior teams before earning his move at Bayern Munich, in 216 Bundesliga games, he has scored 22 goals and registered 63 assists some of them from set pieces. While in the Champions League, in 66 games he scored 10 goals and 16 assists winning in the 2019/20 season. He has won 19 trophies with 7 Bundesliga titles, 6 DFL-Supercup, and 3 DFB-Pokal. Even more impressively, in his whole career, he has only received only 1 red card. Defensively this season, he won 142 tackles with an avg. of 2 tackles per match, has 1.2 interceptions per match, 0.8 clearances per match, and 17 aerial duels. While offensively, he has 1.3 shots per game, 2.2 key passes per game, 0.3 dribbles per game, and disposed only of 0.8 per game. His most important is passing, with 2.2 Key Passes, 82.9 avg. passes, 89.7% pass success percentage, 1.8 crosses, and 5.2 balls per game. His biggest strengths are passing, key passes, set pieces, through balls, long shots, and ball interception. His style of play is: Plays the ball off the ground often, Likes to shoot from distance, Gets fouled often, Likes to do layoffs, and Does not dive into tackles. His biggest weakness is: tackling.
With Timo Werner not making it to the World Cup with injury, Hansi Flick would either play Serge Gnabry or Thomas Muller in a false 9 position or Karim Adeyemi as the striker. What is certain is that Ilkay Gundogan, Thomas Muller, and Jamal Musiala would be on the pitch alongside him, with Serge Gnabry, and Leroy Sane in some form, which means if right passes are made from the back, Germany can lift the cup again.
2. Federico Valverde
If a year ago someone would’ve told you that Fede Valverde will be the most important player in the Real Madrid side ahead of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and even Karim Benzema, someone would’ve headbutted me like Zinedine Zidane. But that’s what has been this season so far, in 20 games for Los Blancos, he has scored 8 goals and registered 4 assists. While he has played in a few positions, majorly on the right wing or as a right midfielder with 12 games and 1 game respectively, and 7 games in a midfield three with Touchameni and Luka Modric or Toni Kroos. While as an attacking player, you wouldn’t have much of a defensive game in the modern game, especially under Don Carlo. This is shown in the stats with 1.1 tackles, 0.6 interceptions, 0.1 blocks, and 0.3 clearances per game. Inoffensive games, he has 2.5 shots, 2 key passes, and 0.7 dribbles per game. As a playmaker, 48.6 avg. passing, an 89% passing success percentage, and 0.2 crosses per game. While his biggest strengths are: holding on to the ball, passing, finishing, and dribbling. His style of game is: likes to shoot from distance, likes to cut inside, and likes to play short passes. His biggest weakness is crossing.
While only 24 years old, he will be going to his second World Cup, but unlike 2018, this time he will get to play with players like Luis Suárez, Darwin Núñez, Edinson Cavani, and Facundo Pellistri, while in the midfield of Rodrigo Bentancur, and Matías Vecino, we can expect few upsets & few guaranteed wins from the two-time winners.
3. Vinícius Júnior
The 22-year-old is one of the best players of this generation alongside Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. He has already won the UEFA Champions League which both of his competitors are still looking to win alongside the La Liga, Supercopa de España, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup. With one of the best teams in the World Cup, he will be looking to complete his collection with the World Cup as well. With Gabriel Jesus, Richarlison, Antony, Rodrygo, Neymar Jr., Gabriel Martinelli, Pedro, Raphinha, and Lucas Paqueta, this might be his best chance at the coveted trophy.
In 27 games this season for Real Madrid, he has scored 11 goals and 5 assists. His stats are at an elite level as well given for his age will only go on to be better, with 3 shots, 1.6 key passes, and 2.7 dribbles per game. Even in a team build around team play, he is putting out numbers seen from much more older and mature players, with a 33.1 avg. passes, and 81.7% success pass percentage per game. His strengths are Passing, Key Passes, Dribbling, Finishing, and Holding on the Ball. His style of play is: Gets fouled often, likes to cut inside, and likes to dribble. His weakness is aerial duels and defensive contribution. If Neymar Jr. was still playing dominantly on the left side, his position would’ve been rotated to fit him in, but with him shifting into a no. 10 role, he will surely start out on the leftover Gabriel Martinelli with either Rodrygo or Antony playing on the right side.
4. Diogo Dalot
The Portuguese full-back wouldn’t have made the team last to last season, and right now he is one of the best modern-day full-backs in Europe. A large part of the reason is his role at the club level, and the confidence Manchester United’s new manager Erik Ten Haag has shown in him. In 25 games he has played for the club this season, he has just 1 goal and 1 assist which isn’t noteworthy by any standard when compared to the likes of Achraf Hakimi, Trent Alexander Arnold, Reece James, or even his teammate Joao Cancelo, but his ability in defense which all the mentioned names lack is what sets him apart. Statistically in defense, he has 2 tackles, 1.3 interceptions, 1.1 fouls, and 1.3 clearances per game while in offense, 0.6 shots, 1.5 key passes, 0.6 dribbles, 46.1 avg. passes, 0.6 crosses, and 2.9 long balls per game. His strengths are: Holding on to the ball, Concentration, Ball interception, Tackling, and Blocking the ball. His style of play is: Likes to play long balls and Likes to tackle. While his weakness, he’s young and has yet to learn. With Joao Cancelo playing on the left side, he’ll be starting on the right with Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix, Bernardo Silva, and Bruno Fernandes., he has plenty of attacks.
5. Lisandro Martinez
If in your first two games at the club you conceded 8 goals against 2 of the worst teams followed by 12 games of fans cheering your name, and your country because of you and making flags for you, you have to be one of the best player in the league and at the club. That‘s the case for 24-year-old Argentine center-back Lisandro Martinez who arrived at Manchester United from Ajax. Fondly called “The Argentine Butcher” by the fans, and called one of the best signings by critics and football analysts will go into his first World Cup. He is tasked with one of the greatest tasks, to help Lionel Messi lift the World Cup. He will be partnered up with Christian Romero or Nicolas Otamnedi in the defense. In the 2021–22 Eredivisie season, he averaged more passes per 90 minutes than any other player.
In 21 games for the club so far, he has 1.9 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, 0.8 fouls, 3.7 clearances, and 0.8 blocks per game. He ranks in the 84th percentile for tackles, 37th percentile for interceptions, 85th percentile for blocks, 67th percentile for clearances, and 14th percentile for aerial duels per 90 when compared to other center-back in top leagues across Europe. While he has yet to register a goal or assist, he is helpful going forward as well, with 0.3 key passes, a 59.4 avg. passes, 84% successful passes, and 2.9 long balls per game. His strengths are Tackling, Aerial Duels, Passing, and Ball interception. While his style of play is: Indirect set-piece threat, Likes to play short passes, and Likes to tackle. While he is at a disadvantage by some factors at just 5’9”, so far that hasn’t been the case when combined with someone taller and stronger in the air who can cover him like Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof at the club level.
While this is just the first part of our list, in the next list we will focus on some less-known names.
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