Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup: Who Are The Break Out Stars?

The 2022 FIFA World Cup has come and gone, but the thrills, memories, rivalries rekindling & dreams accomplishments the tournament witnessed won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

Certainly, Qatar 2022 will go down in history as one of the best WC to be played in terms of the near flawless execution on the organizers’ path, thrillers, shockers witnessed, players & coaches’ forceful retirement (due to disappointing outings) and most importantly the break out stars the competition birthed.

Here, Sixsports Looks At The Budding Profiles Who Shone At The Mundial, And Are Most Probably On Their Way To Top Teams Across Europe.

Enzo Fernandez (Argentina).

Winner of the young player of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, Enzo Fernández is unarguably one of the not-so-known players that shone like a billion stars in the tournament.

The 21-year-old Benfica Midfielder was integral to Argentina winning the trophy, as he was a constant advantage for them in the middle of the park.

Enzo is the third player in Qatar that averaged 20+ tackles, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Achraf Hakimi and Matteo.

Enzo Fernandez who joined Benfica from Argentine club — River Plate last summer made an underwhelming WC debut in his nation’s shocking 2-0 loss to Argentina, but had the best of his last game, leading the lines for touches (118), successful passes (77), and tackles (10) against France.

His 10 tackles takes were the most of any player in a WC final ever since Gattuso in 2006 (15), further highlighting what to expect from this gem.

Josko Gvardiol (Croatia).

Croatia’s youngest scorer at the WC, 20-year-old Josko Gvardiol rose to prominence on the biggest stage with a series of excellent displays during Croatia’s run to the podium finish.

Gvardiol was one of the best defenders in the tournament, outputting 90% pass accuracy, 37 clearance (most), 19 duels won, 11 interceptions, 9 tackles, 4 blocks, 2 shots and a crucial goal against Morocco in the third place game.

Azzedine Ounahi  & Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco).

Morocco’s fairy tale at this Mundial couldn’t have been possible without the presence of Amrabat and Ounahi in the midfield

Both Moroccan internationals took football fans across the globe by storm, displaying tactical swiftness and unpredictability on & off the ball in ways least expected of Africans.

Onuahi for one currently plays at Angers (who are at bottom of the League 1), he made his senior debut for Morocco just this January, and he’s etched his name as one of the brightest revelations seen in Qatar, lighting up the midfield in wins over Belgium, Spain & Portugal.

Sofyan Amrabat on the other hand won possession a whopping  57 times, more than any other player at the tournament.

Goncalo Ramos (Portugal).

Ramos announced himself emphatically to the world in his first international start for Portugal, scoring Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup first hat trick in Portugal’s 6-1 victory over Switzerland in the round of 16.

The Benfica forward made this big statement when he was summoned by Santos to replace underperforming Cristiano Ronaldo. And despite playing just 153 minutes at the 2022 World Cup, only Bruno Fernandes (5) was directly involved in more goals for Portugal than Goncalo Ramos (4).

These five players are the break-out sensations in Qatar 2022, but beyond them, there’s also a coach that delivered far above expectations in the tournament, and he’s no other than Walid Regragui of the Atlas Lions.

Most of the hopes heaped on Africa before the World Cup was shouldered by Senegal’s Aliou Cisse who won the West Africans’ first AFCON early this year.

However, he wasn’t to live up to billings as Senegal were ousted by England in the round of 16, and it was Morocco under the tutelage of Walid Regragui that held Africa’s flag flying high.

Walid Regragui masterminded the Atlas Lions’ impressive run which they started by topping Group F which featured powerhouses in Croatia, Belgium and Canada.

The 41-year-old was also at the sidelines when his team churned impressive wins over Portugal before they eventually got stopped by France in the quarterfinals in what was a keenly contested affair with the defending champions.

Unfortunately for Regragui, Morocco missed the chance to cap off a brilliant competition as they lost 2-1 to Croatia in the third-place encounter.

You’d agree that Qatar 2022 is one of the best footballing competitions to be witnessed contemporarily. Will USA, Canada & Mexico 2026 outstrip this spectacle of a tournament?

Only time will tell!