As predicted in my last article, this year’s FIFA World Cup will definitely be remembered. From the players participating in their final World Cup to the players kicking off their careers, these recent games have kept us all on the edge of our seats.
We have seen a few players so far that are definitely going to be worth keeping an eye on as they may become a name to remember. One specifically is Cody Gakpo from the Netherlands, who scored in all three Group A games this tournament. No surprise to anyone that Messi is another player to keep an eye on as he plays in his last World Cup tournament.
Despite the initial wake-up call of Argentina’s loss against Saudi Arabia, Messi was there when Argentina needed him the most. In the following game, he scored and assisted the goal to put Argentina right back on track against Mexico. The teams to look out for from my previous article remain the same as they have made it to the knockout stages. Although, there are new statistics regarding their recent games and players that are keeping their necks above water.
France
Despite this team losing 5 or 6 players due to severe injuries, including Karim Benzema, their star striker, and the 2022 Ballon D’or winner, they still ended up coming out at the top of their group. This group consists of Australia, Tunisia, and Denmark. A key player on France’s team to watch out for right now is previous World Cup star, Kylian Mbappé. Mbappé is carrying the team with his three goals so far this season. Two defining goals, in particular, were the two he sent straight to the back of the net in France’s game against Denmark. That win was what guaranteed France their spot in the round of 16. Another player to keep an eye on right now is Olivier Giroud. While Benzema is injured and the team is now without one of their lethal strikers, Giroud has stepped up. He is now tied up with French top leading goal scorer, Thierry Henry, as the pair now share the title of having scored 51 goals for France. France stands first in their group despite the shocking loss against Tunisia and has now broken the infamous, “World Cup Curse”. Look out for France to see how far they could take themselves in this tournament!
The Netherlands
The Netherlands remain undefeated in their group. Beating the first two games played against Senegal and Qatar and tying up with Ecuador. Up-and-coming star, Cody Gakpo, carried the team by pushing through into these final rounds. Two additional key players are their two defenders, Virgil van Dijk and Matthijs de Ligt. These two defenders, both debuting in their first World Cup, are holding down the defense for The Netherlands currently. This is the first time in eight years that The Netherlands has qualified for the World Cup, and people are shining the spotlight on them to see if they can pull through to the end of this tournament.
Portugal
Portugal won their first two games against Ghana and Uruguay, but sadly saw a defeat from South Korea in their most recent game. Portugal won the game 2-0 against Uruguay and displayed a thriller against Ghana, ending that game 3-2. The star player holding it down in the midfield for Portugal is Bruno Fernandes. Fernandes scored two crucial goals in Portugal’s game against Uruguay and also assisted three goals. His had two assists against Ghana and one against South Korea. Of course, let’s not forget about Cristiano Ronaldo who’s competing in his final World Cup. Ronaldo scored the opening goal for Portugal in their game against Ghana. Ronaldo, with 5 World Cup appearances, has scored in every tournament he has played so far. Ronaldo is the first player to ever do this, and everyone will surely remember his name as he made this record during his final World Cup. Portugal is pulling through despite their defeat and they’re still standing at top of their group.
Argentina
Argentina shocked the world in their opening game with their loss to Saudi Arabia. Fans began to lose hope and feared that Argentina would choke in the following games. However, when the team needed him the most, Lionel Messi stepped up against Mexico. Messi scored and assisted both goals in the game, reviving Argentina and putting them back on track. Despite Messi trying his hardest to score against Poland, his team backed him up and scored two crucial goals. These goals set Argentina right back at the top of their group. One star player that is putting in the work is their winger, Angel Di Maria. Di Maria works extremely well with Messi and could play on both the right and left sides, which helps open up defensive plays for their team. Di Maria was the assist for Messi in the goal against Mexico. Argentina is going strong in the face of their loss against Saudi Arabia and has secured their spot for the next round.