Using our Opta Index scoring system, our data insights team have been able to put together the team of the tournament for the 2022 World Cup. The scoring system, which takes hundreds of metrics into consideration to award either positive or negative points differentials based on playing position, scores players out of 100 for their performances over a single match or considering multiple matches across a season/tournament.

Dominik Livakovic (Croatia): Livakovic prevented 3.5 goals according to our xG on target faced data; the most in the 2022 tournament, while the Croat also made the most saves in this edition of the competition (25). In addition to this, he saved a record-equalling four shootout penalties in a single edition of the World Cup.

Achraf Hakimi (Morocco): Hakimi made a tournament-high 26 tackles, helping Morocco to claim Africa’s first-ever semi-final berth.

Marquinhos (Brazil): Marquinhos completed 349 of his 364 passes in this World Cup, with that passing accuracy of 96% the best of any player to play at least 200 minutes. Meanwhile, Brazil only faced 32 shots in 426 mins when he was on the pitch – just 6.8 per 90 minutes.

Josko Gvardiol (Croatia): Gvardiol made more clearances than any other player in Qatar (37), registered more carries than any other player (202) and won possession more often than any other defender (48 times).

Theo Hernández (France): Hernández created more goalscoring chances for teammates at this World Cup than any other defender (11), including a joint-tournament-high (for defenders) two assists.

Bruno Fernandes (Portugal): Only Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé registered more goal involvements than Fernandes at this World Cup (five), while his tally of three assists is the joint-most of any Portuguese player at a single edition of the competition.

Aurélien Tchouaméni (France): Tchouaméni made more interceptions than any other player at the 2022 World Cup (14), while he also completed 91% of his passes at the tournament (425/468).

Antoine Griezmann (France): Griezmann created more chances (22) and accumulated a higher expected assists total (3.6) than any player at the 2022 World Cup.

Lionel Messi (Argentina): No player mustered as many shots (32), created as many open play chances (17), assisted more goals (three) or won as many fouls (22) at the 2022 World Cup than Lionel Messi.

Julián Álvarez (Argentina): Álvarez is only the second Argentinian to score as many as four goals in a single edition of the World Cup aged 23 or younger, after Gonzalo Higuaín in 2010. At 22 years 316 days, Álvarez also became the youngest brace scorer in a World Cup semi-final since Pelé scored a hat-trick in 1958 (17y 244d).

Kylian Mbappé (France): Mbappé scored more goals (eight), completed more dribbles (25) and had more touches in the opposition’s box (69) than any player at the 2022 World Cup. .

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Quoted from Opta Analyst