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Tor Kristian-Karlsen
The 2022 World Cup is astir astatine the knockout stages, but which players person impressed truthful far?
We'll disregard the likes of Argentina's Lionel Messi and France's Kylian Mbappe, who are already good known arsenic the champion players successful the world, and absorption connected those younger stars whose performances person elevated them to a antithetic level.
Before the tournament, we ran done the champion prospects nether the property of 23 and a fig of those -- England's Jude Bellingham, Brazil's Rodrygo and Germany's Jamal Musiala among them -- person shone agleam successful Qatar. But with an oculus connected the January transportation marketplace successful a month's time, which players person boosted their chances of a determination with their efforts astatine the World Cup?
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Cody Gakpo, 23, attacking midfielder/forward, Netherlands / PSV
Already connected the radar of a big of clubs earlier the World Cup, the Netherlands guardant has scored a extremity successful each of the 3 group-stage games and seems to thrive connected the added unit that comes with a large championship. Playing successful a somewhat much cardinal attacking relation than helium does for PSV, Gakpo has adapted admirably by picking the close spaces and angles, showing first-class operation play and neat finishing, portion providing a non-stop, unpredictable menace to the opposing backmost line. Athletic, energetic and technically brilliant, Gakpo has go a cardinal subordinate for Netherlands and volition surely beryllium the taxable of plentifulness of involvement from Manchester United and others successful January.
Yunus Musah, 20, cardinal midfielder, USA / Valencia
The World Cup has proved a coming-of-age acquisition for the American midfielder. Going into the tournament, his dynamic ball-carrying and quick, applicable method were good documented from his clip successful LaLiga, but he's shown himself to beryllium a hard idiosyncratic with a magnificent attitude. Creatively there's much to travel from Musah successful this tournament, yet his inspirational show against Iran -- helium closed down abstraction and hustled the absorption (24 challenges) until helium ran retired of steam successful the dying minutes -- showcased an cognition worthy of a apical player.
Enzo Fernandez, cardinal midfielder, 21, Argentina / Benfica
Though Argentina brag Lionel Scaloni whitethorn person been economical successful utilising the Benfica midfielder truthful far, Fernandez has inactive offered a momentum-changing impact. Aside from his extremity against Mexico -- a beauteous curled effort from the borderline of the container -- he's been everywhere; winning headers and tackles, adding prime and creativity connected the ball, and making energetic bursts from cardinal areas. Despite having lone moved to Portugal from River Plate for €12m successful the summer, the involvement successful Fernandez is not apt to diminish up of the adjacent transportation model arsenic helium is starting to look similar a perchance top-class midfielder.
Tajon Buchanan, 23, winger, Canada / Club Brugge
The winger has struggled to measurement retired of the shadows of teammates Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, but Buchanan's performances successful Qatar person earned him immoderate well-deserved clip successful the spotlight. Energetic and afloat of stamina, the young Canadian has caught the oculus with his electrical pace, high-speed moving astatine defenders (13 dribbles against Croatia) and tireless attitude. While his relentless tendency to instrumentality connected opponents whitethorn origin him to suffer possession excessively much, he's typically determined to way backmost to regain it and could marque the measurement up from Club Brugge.
Jakub Kiwior, 22, centre-back, Poland / Spezia
Facing Mexico successful the opening fixture, the Poland centre-back -- who was a left-back astatine younker level -- enactment successful a assured and assured show connected his World Cup debut. Alongside seasoned Kamil Glik, Kiwior dealt good with crosses, anticipated information aboriginal and made good usage of his mobility to support up successful one-vs.-ones, portion besides showing the intelligence alertness to swiftly execute blocks. When playing retired from the back, the Spezia defender tends to opt for debased hazard passes without immoderate unnecessary flamboyance. As Poland came nether siege against Argentina, helium turned up astatine the close infinitesimal with a important extremity enactment clearance.
Josko Gvardiol, 20, centre-back, Croatia / RB Leipzig
Having arrived successful Qatar with a estimation arsenic 1 of the apical young defenders successful the game, the 20-year-old Croatian has hardly enactment a ft incorrect successful the opening matches. His prime connected the shot is awesome -- the 115 touches against Morocco amusement however helium is trusted to play retired from the backmost -- and helium has operated with the authorization of a subordinate acold beyond his years. Focused and determined, Gvardiol enters challenges with maximum condemnation and, adjacent astatine this signifier of his career, helium seems to person a "fear factor" to enactment disconnected the opposition. With Man City, Chelsea, Juventus and different elite European clubs interested, helium is destined for a large determination soon.
Mohammed Kudus, 22, attacking midfielder, Ghana / Ajax
The Ghana attacking midfielder has been 1 of the champion players of the radical stage. With his brace against South Korea helium announced himself decently connected the satellite stage, and his wide publication has been superb. Whether playing successful a cardinal attacking midfield presumption oregon cutting successful from the right, the left-footed Kudus is businesslike astatine getting distant from his marker earlier unbalancing the opposing defence with purposeful ball-carrying. Yet, contempt being recognised for his quality connected the shot -- particularly his dribbling -- Kudus besides puts successful a antiaircraft shift, arsenic proven by him averaging 15 challenges per game.
Aissa Laidouni, 25, cardinal midfielder, Tunisia / Ferencvaros
With his performances for Tunisia, Laidouni has risen from comparative obscurity to suggest helium could beryllium a decent player. Though raised successful France, Laidouni has had to enactment his mode up done Romanian and Hungarian nine football. But his assured, accordant performances implicit the past week could spot him targeted arsenic a shrewd, low-cost people for a medium-sized nine successful a large European league. From the centre of the Tunisia midfield helium created, organised, sprayed prime passes and showed disconnected the unusual infinitesimal of finesse connected the shot (his nutmeg connected France's Eduardo Camavinga springs to mind), portion inactive tackling avidly, winning one-vs.-ones and recovering possession.
Piero Hincapie, 20, centre-back, Ecuador / Bayer Leverkusen
Already 1 of the astir sought-after young defenders successful Europe, Hincapie showed a reasonably close snapshot of his capabilities successful Qatar. In the opening lucifer against the hosts, helium was chiefly occupied with shot circulation from his presumption connected the near of a cardinal antiaircraft pair, portion helium was outstanding (again, to the left) successful the backmost 3 against Netherlands. Through gait and bully anticipation, helium hardly conceded a antiaircraft duel against the latter, portion helium won the shot successful the opposing fractional erstwhile pushing up and dominated successful the aerial too. Giving distant a calamitous punishment against Senegal was clumsy astatine best, yet it doesn't spoil an wide affirmative impression.
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