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South America is one of the strongest powerhouses in the history of football as countries from the continent have won several outstanding international trophies.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup was no different as Argentina defeated European rivals France to win the trophy.
During the competition, numerous South American players performed excellently. As such, this article will look at the four South American players who impressed the most at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
#4 Enner Valencia (Ecuador)
Despite Ecuador's early exit from the competition in the group stage, the 33-year-old is among the strikers who performed excellently during the competition.
The Fernabache striker was brilliant in the final third of the pitch as he netted three goals in three games for Ecuador.
The Ecuadorian has been brilliant for both his club and country in 2022 and it will be interesting to see if he remains consistent.
#3 Richarlison (Brazil)
The Tottenham Hotspur forward was arguably one of the best-performing strikers during the competition as his attacking threat was immense.
The 25-year-old was in fine form as he netted three goals in four games for Brazil. His spectacular goal against Serbia was arguably one of the best goals of the tournament.
Richarlison enjoyed a brilliant 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign after a poor start to the 2022-23 Premier League season. It remains to be seen if his brilliant display in the tournament will rekindle his Premier League campaign.
#2 Emiliano Martinez (Argentina)
The Aston Villa shot-stopper was arguably the best-performing goalkeeper in the tournament. His brilliance in goal was one of the key reasons why the South American giants won the trophy.
Martinez conceded only eight goals and kept three clean sheets in seven appearances during the competition. Similarly, he was the goalkeeper with the joint highest number of clean sheets.
The 30-year-old was named the goalkeeper of the tournament after his brilliant display in the entire competition. His prowess was on full display during the penalty shoot-out in the final, directly helping Argentina hoist the trophy.
It will be interesting to see if he remains consistent for Aston Villa in the ongoing 2022-23 Premier League campaign.
#1 Lionel Messi (Argentina)
The Paris Saint-Germain forward's brilliance and leadership helped the Argentines in winning the trophy.
Messi netted seven goals and registered three assists in seven games during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Similarly, his brilliance was evident as he was named the player of the tournament.
The South American led Albiceleste to win their first World Cup trophy in 36 years and it will be intriguing to see if he remains consistent in the ongoing 2022-23 campaign.
