5 players who surprised everyone in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers

Who has been the biggest surprise performer in the World Cup qualifiers?
Who has been the biggest surprise performer in the World Cup qualifiers?

#3 Alexis Sanchez

Peru v Chile - FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar Qualifiers
Peru v Chile - FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar Qualifiers

Alexis Sanchez has been Chile's best player in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, a surprise given his form at club level with Inter Milan.

The forward has struggled with fitness and form since leaving Arsenal for Manchester United in 2018. That has not stopped him from performing consistently for Chile in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers though.

The 32-year-old has scored four goals and contributed three assists in only 10 games for Chile in their qualifying campaign. Notably, three of those goals have come in his last two appearances. With the contribution of Sanchez, Chile presently occupy the final automatic qualification slot for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup reserved for teams from South America.

Sanchez remains one of his country's most important players in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.


#2 Aleksandr Mitrovic

Portugal v Serbia - 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier
Portugal v Serbia - 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier

Serbian striker Aleksandr Mitrovic is on arguably the best run of form of his entire career. The striker has plundered in goals for Fulham in the Championship this season after a dry spell last season in the English Premier League. More spectacularly, he scored eight goals in only five starts for Serbia in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

The most memorable of his goals, no doubt, is the one he scored in the 90th minute in front of a packed Estadio da Luz. His header from a Dusan Tadic cross sent his nation to the 2022 FIFA World Cup and condemned Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal teammates to the lottery of the playoffs.

Mitrovic was the pantomime villain as Serbia missed out on a place at Euro 2020 after he missed the decisive penalty in their playoff shootout defeat to Scotland last November.

The emergence of Dusan Vlahovic as a brilliant, young Serbian striker saw further doubts cast over Mitrovic's future with the Serbian national team. However, the 27-year-old has silenced his doubters and is now Serbia's record goalscorer with 44 goals in 69 appearances for the country after the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.


#1 Islam Slimani

Islam Slimani celebrates after scoring for Algeria in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
Islam Slimani celebrates after scoring for Algeria in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers

Algerian striker Islam Slimani has gone through a lot in the last few years of his career. He joined Leicester City from Sporting Lisbon after the 2016-17 season but failed to impact the King Power Stadium before bouncing around on loan to Newcastle United, Monaco and Fenerbahce.

The 33-year-old trained with Leicester City's U-23s before securing a move to Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1 where he has got his career back on track.

Slimani has scored seven goals for Algeria in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers to lead the scoring charts in Africa. The striker is also Algeria's all-time leading scorer, with 38 goals in 78 appearances for the Desert Foxes.

Slimani appears a more mature striker and has helped his side greatly in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers with his experience and goals after a very tough spell.

PREV 2 / 2

Quick Links

Edited by Nived Zenith