PHILADELPHIA — The group stage is done, which means we’ve played 72 games (with 32 to go!) and whittled 48 teams down to 32.
It’s almost as if a whole other World Cup starts up now, one with as many participants as the sort of World Cups many of us have had for most of our lifetime. The difference, of course, is that it’s now mano a mano, win or go home from here, with no room for error.
Some will say it’s absurd to play 70% of the games to get rid of just one third of the teams. Me? I like football, so I enjoyed it.
We’ve had quality to go with the quantity, we’ve had drama, we’ve had intensity (so much for those who feared that the long and congested club season would mean tired and weary players) and, of course, with a few exceptions, we’ve had good vibes just about everywhere. And we’ve had upsets and surprises, from Cape Verde, DR Congo and South Africa getting through to Uruguay, South Korea and Türkiye going home early.
And of course, the stars have shown up — whether it’s record-breaking older ones (yes, that’s you Cristiano Ronaldo, scoring in six straight World Cups, and you, Lionel Messi, breaking Miroslav Klose’s mark) or their next-gen heirs apparent (Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland), or the guy who won the Ballon d’Or (Ousmane Dembélé), along with the guy who thought he should have won the Ballon d’Or (Vinícius Júnior).
– World Cup match schedule: All fixtures, results, features
– World Cup Power Rankings: Who’s No. 1 after group stage?
– O’Hanlon: Grades for every eliminated team
How do you make a coherent group-stage best XI out of all that? You don’t really. It comes down to personal preference, moments that stood out and, most importantly, making sure your team was actually good, because this is a team sport, and quality without results is in vain.
With that in mind, here’s my (admittedly top-heavy, because, how couldn’t it be?) attempt. Feel free to disagree.
Belgium haven’t been good, but he gets the nod because he’s arguably the best in the world, and without the saves he made against Egypt and Iran, Belgium would be out of the tournament.
Honorable mentions: Vozinha (Cape Verde), Zion Suzuki (Japan), Dominik Livakovic (Croatia), Alisson (Brazil), Eloy Room (Curacao)
The “Roadrunner” may not be the most technically gifted in that position, but he’s always there mainly because he never stops, whether going forward or backward. This time around, his two important goals (one of them deflected, but still) made all the difference.
Honorable mentions: Achraf Hakimi (Morocco), Alex Freeman (United States), Denzel Dumfries (Netherlands)
Center backs: Virgil van Dijk (Holland) and Pau Cubarsí (Spain)
We have the old and the young here. Van Dijk’s leadership and performances were not something you took for granted after a long and difficult season with Liverpool. But he chipped in with a goal and offered stability to the Oranje, a side who ordinarily make inconsistency a point of pride.
Cubarsi is still only 19, and yet on a team that likes to shuffle the pack, he has been trusted to play every minute of every game. All without putting a foot wrong.
Honorable mentions: Marc Guéhi (England), Chris Richards (United States) Gabriel (Brazil), Dayot Upamecano (France), Chancel Mbemba (DR Congo), Wilfrid Singo (Ivory Coast) Cristian Romero (Argentina)
He has been ever-present for Spain, and he manages to be a constant nuisance in the opposition’s side. I’m not going to lie: This hasn’t been a vintage World Cup for left backs thus far, but he’s my pick for his consistency and for the way he stands out, always. (Yes, his hair may have something to do with it.)
Honorable mentions: Nathaniel Brown (Germany), Antonee Robinson (United States), Ghislain Konan (Ivory Coat), Ricardo Rodríguez (Switzerland)
When Brazil laid an egg in the opener, Bruno Guimaraes was one of the few guys who stood out in a positive way. His energy is what keeps the Selecao’s sometimes stodgy midfield ticking.
Rice has played an obscene amount of minutes this past season, but evidently he’s on the extra-long-life batteries. He’s big and physical, sure, but he’s also one of the smartest guys on the pitch.
Honorable mentions: Felix Nmecha (Germany), Weston McKennie (United States) Maza (Algeria) Johan Mazambi (Switzerland), Elijah Just (New Zealand)
Wingers: Vinicius Junior (Brazil) and Michael Olise (France)
OK, I like Olise better at the No. 10 position, too, but truth be told, it really makes no difference: He’s that good. Olise is so cool and composed, rarely makes a mistake and seems to have both 360-degree vision as well as the ability to put the ball wherever he wants it.
As for Vini, his many critics (including yours truly) have seen an entirely different side of him at this World Cup. He has improved as the group progressed (his stunner in the opener was pretty much his only contribution) and shown a maturity and a selflessness that haven’t always been there at club level. With Raphinha out, he’s the attacking value add for the Selecao.
Honorable mentions: Ousmane Dembele (France), Luis Díaz (Colombia), Keito Nakamura (Japan), Yan Diomande (Ivory Coast), Julián Quiñones (Mexico)
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Argentina) and Kylian Mbappé (France)
I’m not sure anyone is going to argue with these two. So what if he missed a penalty? Messi is the top scorer of this World Cup and the top scorer in all World Cups, ever, men’s or women’s. Argentina are firing on all cylinders, and he’s still the straw that stirs the drink.
Mbappé has flirted with unplayability at times. Having come so close to winning it all four years ago, he’s obviously determined to make it count this time. You hold your breath every time he gets the ball.
Honorable mentions: Matheus Cunha (Brazil), Erling Haaland (Norway), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Yoanne Wissa (DR Congo) Harry Kane (England)
