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The 2022 FIFA World Cup gifted us four riveting clashes and a couple of shocking results in the quarter-finals. Luka Modric’s gritty Croatia knocked Neymar’s Brazil out on penalties, while Achraf Hakimi’s high-flyers Morocco ended Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal’s World Cup dream. Argentina and France came out on top in the other two fixtures, beating Netherlands and England, respectively.
The 2022 quarter-finals had no shortage of stunning individual performances, and below we will take a quick look at five players who stood out. Here are the top five players who impressed in the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals last week:
#5 Emiliano Martinez — Argentina
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez once again stepped up to the plate in the penalty shootouts for his country. Martinez stopped two crucial penalties as Argentina beat Netherlands in the quarter-finals.
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With the game level at 2-2 at the end of extra time, Netherlands and Argentina kicked off a nerve-wracking penalty shootout. Martinez gave Argentina a dream start, denying Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis. Van Dijk went left with his sweetly-struck penalty, but Martinez stopped it with a strong left hand.
Berghuis, on the other hand, went right. Martinez guessed the direction and pulled off another stunning save to keep his effort out. Lionel Messi, Leandro Paredes, Gonzalo Montiel, and Lautaro Martinez put away their kicks to seal a 4-3 win in the shootout.
#4 Luka Modric — Croatia
Croatia skipper Luka Modric once again proved that age is nothing but a number for him, covering every blade of grass in the quarter-finals against Brazil. The 37-year-old dictated the tempo of the game with his short passes, acted as an auxiliary defender when required, and confidently put away his penalty kick in the shootout (1-1 after extra time).
Modric opted for precision while taking his spot kick, finding the bottom-left corner with a confident strike. Helped along by his clinical strike, Croatia won the shootout 4-2 in the quarter-finals.
The 2018 Ballon d’Or winner completed a staggering 105 passes (91.3% accuracy) against Brazil in the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals. He also delivered six accurate long balls, won eight ground duels, drew five fouls, blocked two shots, and won two of three attempted tackles.
#3 Antoine Griezmann — France
France went toe-to-toe with England for a place in the semi-finals. The game was too close to call for the most part, but Les Bleus held their nerve a smidgen better to beat the Three Lions 2-1 in their crucial quarter-final clash. Aurelien Tchouameni and Olivier Giroud got on the scoresheet for Didier Deschamps’ men, but it was Antoine Griezmann who stole the show with his inspired performance.
Griezmann was credited with two assists as Les Bleus overcame England in the quarters. He played a simple square pass to Tchouameni in the 17th minute and the midfielder found the left-bottom corner of England’s net with a stunning long-ranger.
Griezmann’s brilliance came to the fore in the 78th minute, when he delivered a peach of a delivery for Giroud to head home from close range. The flight and curl of the delivery from the left were nothing short of sensational. Additionally, he also played two key passes, delivered three accurate long balls, and created a big chance.
#2 Dominik Livakovic — Croatia
Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic came into the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-final on the back of a successful shootout against Japan (three saves). Against Brazil, he took his game to a notch above, making one sensational save after another. Livakovic never hesitated to rush off his line, commanded his back line with authority, and was as acrobatic as the shots demanded.
In open play, Livakovic made a staggering 11 saves, with seven of those coming from inside the box. He also delivered six accurate long balls and completed 26 passes (78.8% accuracy). Had it not been for Livakovic’s heroics, Croatia would not have managed to hold Selecao to a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes of football and push the game into penalties.
There, too, Livakovic proved his mettle, stopping Rodrygo’s penalty. Nikola Vlasic, Lovro Majer, Luka Modric, and Mislav Orsic converted their chances, and Brazil’s Marquinhos hit the post as Croatia picked up a 4-2 win in the shootout.
#1 Lionel Messi — Argentina
Argentina skipper Lionel Messi was easily their most impressive player in the quarter-final win over the Netherlands, pitching in with an assist and a goal.
Messi’s assist to Nahuel Molina in the 35th minute was a thing of beauty. Picking the ball up on the right side, Messi came into a central position, dragging a couple of players with him. While the Dutch were busy trying to block his path, Messi spotted Molina tucked in between the left back and the left center-back. He played an inch-perfect pass into his path, and the right-back applied a sumptuous finish to give his team the lead.
Messi got on the scoresheet himself in the 73rd minute, slotting his penalty on the right side and giving Argentina a 2-0 lead. Wout Weghorst spoiled Argentina’s party for a bit by pushing the game into extra time and then penalties. The 35-year-old superstar delivered in the shootout as well, comfortably putting away his opening penalty to give La Albiceleste the start they were looking for.
In the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, Messi also played three key passes, won 10 ground duels, drew a game-high eight fouls, and completed 37 passes (82.2% accuracy).
