Which football players and teams made headlines at the World Cup in Russia.
The New Ronaldo
French national team forward Kylian Mbappé has already made a name for himself at just 19 years old, having made waves with Monaco in the Champions League and played a season at Paris Saint-Germain alongside Brazilian Neymar and Uruguayan Edinson Cavani. At the tournament in Russia, the talent of the forward became a global treasure. Mbappé is compared to the two-time World Champion Brazilian Ronaldo. The Frenchman has a unique technique, more reminiscent of the movements of his famous predecessor in the national team, Thierry Henry. However, the speed of decision-making and execution closely resembles the great "Fenômeno."
Mbappé's talent was particularly evident in the Round of 16 match against Argentina (4:3), where the Argentines left too much space for the speedy forward. First, the striker, whom fans and teammates jokingly call "Ninja Turtle," ran half the field and earned a penalty, which Antoine Griezmann converted, and then he scored twice, confidently finishing off his teammates' efforts. Mbappé and Belgian Eden Hazard are seen as the main candidates to replace Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid after his move to Italian Juventus.
In the French national team, full-backs Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez also caught attention, as they were integrated into the squad by head coach Didier Deschamps just before the tournament. Both were called up primarily to strengthen the defense, but in the same match against Argentina, Pavard scored a stunning long-range goal that equalized the score, while Hernandez provided two crosses from the left flank that led to goals.
Ivan Perišić
Recently, Inter Milan coach Luciano Spalletti, under whom Croatian Ivan Perišić plays, noted that the physical readiness of his player can only be compared to that of Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, who is obsessed with his health and self-improvement. From the Croatian universal player, anything can be expected; he can appear anywhere on the field and execute effective, often spectacular shots with any part of his body.
At the World Cup in Russia, the Croatian team is primarily led by Luka Modrić and Ivan Rakitić, but it is the precision and assertiveness of Perišić and his teammate Mario Mandžukić that help turn their efforts into goals.
Perišić could play for any top club, but he currently prefers to stay at Inter, which has not been a force on the European stage for some time. In tandem with Perišić, left-back Ivan Strinić had the brightest tournament of his life. His mobility, smart positioning, and tenacity impressed even the central defender Domagoj Vida, who had previously not shone with brilliance.
Cheryshev and Dzyuba shone in the national team
The Russian national team, which played only three official matches in two years (at the Confederations Cup) before the tournament, surprised football fans with their physical and tactical preparation. In the first two matches, the team scored eight goals against the Saudis (5:0) and the Egyptians (3:1), which further united the team and boosted their confidence. The Russians held their ground against the more skilled and experienced Spaniards (1:1, 4:3 on penalties) and fought evenly against the Croatians in the quarter-finals, avoiding defeat in the last minutes of extra time (2:2, 3:4 on penalties).
Before the final match, the Russians, with 11 goals, ranked fourth among the tournament's highest-scoring teams, behind the Belgians (16), Croatians, and English (12 each), and only the French (10) could surpass them. The lion's share of the goals came from midfielder Denis Cheryshev (4) and forward Artem Dzyuba (3).
Cheryshev, who was raised in Spain and went through the ranks of Real Madrid, had always been on the radar of football fans, but injuries had prevented him from showcasing his high skill level at major tournaments. His goals against the Saudis and a precise long-range shot into the "nine" of the Croatian goal became some of the most spectacular of the tournament. Dzyuba had already had bright moments in his career, and at the home World Cup, he became one of the team's leaders. His vibrant fighting qualities and desire to win, regardless of the caliber of the opponent, became the embodiment of this national team.
The Most Productive
The golden generation of Belgian football — Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Dries Mertens — has been playing at the highest level for several years now. Their reckless attacking play prevented them from advancing beyond the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 European Championship.
New head coach Roberto Martínez killed two birds with one stone by switching the team to a formation with three central defenders. In this setup, the roles of the wing-backs are filled by Thomas Meunier (right) and nominal attacking midfielders Yannick Carrasco or Nacer Chadli (left). In the center, alongside the talents of De Bruyne and Hazard, the Belgians have the power of Marouane Fellaini. However, Martínez did not take one of the best central midfielders in Europe, Radja Nainggolan, to the tournament. Lukaku, noted for his powerful physical attributes, is also very mobile and technical.
The Belgians became the tournament's highest-scoring team, taking the most shots on goal and hitting the target the most often. Only the Brazilians, who faced the Belgians in the quarter-finals (2:1), looked as organized and powerful in attack during the tournament in Russia. In the semi-finals, against the equally talented but more rational French, the fate of the match was decided by a goal conceded from a set piece.
Many Wonderful Discoveries
Several players at the tournament did not rise as high as Mbappé and Perišić, but undoubtedly significantly increased their value in the eyes of clubs.
In the romantic, aggressive, attacking play of the Colombians, central defenders Yerry Mina (Barcelona) and Davinson Sánchez (Tottenham) looked solid, with the former scoring three headed goals. British clubs were interested in central attacking midfielder Juan Quintero (River Plate). In the similarly styled Mexican national team, 22-year-old winger Hirving Lozano, nicknamed "Chucky," shone for Dutch PSV.
As a leader of the Brazilian national team, Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho managed to overshadow Neymar. Tottenham midfielder Christian Eriksen showcased his bright talent in the strictly defensive Danish national team. In the English national team, reliable performances came from central defender — giant Harry Maguire (Leicester), goalkeeper Jordan Pickford (Everton), and right-back Kieran Trippier (Tottenham).