The Best Soccer Players In Each Country At The 2022 World Cup

Harry Kane England best soccer players in each country at the 2022 World Cup
(Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)

Who’re the finest, biggest, and most important stars for each country at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar? This extensive article presents you with the best soccer players in each country at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The World Cup it’s a soccer tournament that brings together countries from each planet every four years to compete for arguably the biggest soccer trophy, with a mix of iconic stars and new exciting generation talents set to light up the Mundial.

Previous World Cups, particularly the Mundial hosted in France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002, and recently Russia 2018, all had different stars who shone like a real gems during the tournament.

Therefore, with the next tournament slated for November very much upon us in Qatar, fans of the game definitely can’t wait to witness the performances of each country’s star in Qatar.

Whilst we look forward to the World Cup in Qatar next month, let’s do a roll-call of each star that will grace the Mundial with their talent.

Here are the best soccer players in each country at the 2022 World Cup

1. Neymar Jr – (Brazil)

Neymar Best Soccer Players in Brazil
(Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Starting with one of the bookmaker’s favorites to win the trophy at the end of the tournament based on their antecedents in the previous World Cup and particularly the array of stars the Selecao will be parading during the tournament.

The Selecao has a tremendous blend of youth and experience presently in their national team, but then Paris Saint Germain’s talisman Neymar Jr is, without mincing word, the biggest star for the team.

The PSG star is set to lead his darling nation to success even though tournament outing at the international stage for Brazil.

And with the best Brazilian soccer players on his side, his team will look to win the World Cup after twenty years.

2. Lionel Messi – (Argentina)

Lionel Messi Argentina
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Argentina will definitely be looking forward to adding to their trophy cabinet once the tournament hits the ground running, having won the Copa America for the first time since 1993, with Messi spearheading the success of the South American giant success in Rio de Janeiro.

Being the star of the team, all eyes will be on La Pulga as he looks to finally add a World Cup trophy to his glittering list of individual and team accolades, as he set to call time on his international career for La Albiceleste after the World Cup.

Lionel Messi, who is undoubtedly one of the best soccer players of all-time, will be hoping to win the World Cup and cement his status as the greatest ever.

3. Kevin De Bruyne – (Belgium)

Kevin De Bruyne Belgium
(Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)

The Red Devils presently possess arguably the finest talent pool the country has ever produced in recent times.

Unfortunately, they’ve not been able to achieve success at the international stage despite all of their stars, with their best achievement being a semi-final finish at the last World Cup in Russia.

Whilst the stage is set for another scintillating Mundial for the Red Devils in Qatar, all eyes will be on Manchester City’s inform midfielder De Bruyne to lead his star-studded country to achieve success, having consistently underperformed in previous tournaments.

Kevin De Bruyne is arguably the best midfielder in the world right now, and will definitely be the key player for Belgium at the World Cup.

4. Karim Benzema – (France)

Karim Benzema best soccer players in the world at each position 2022
(Photo by Diego Souto/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

As confirmed by various sports tabloids, ‘Les Bleus’ will be without the services of some of the best French soccer players, including N’golo Kante and Paul Pogba, who are ruled out due to injuries.

However, like Brazil, the 2018 World Cup champions are also blessed with a star-studded squad that is good enough to defend their title, with Real Madrid’s inform striker and Ballon d’Or winner Benzema ready to replicate his deadly finishing prowess in front of goal for France as one of the stand-out performer and star to watch in Qatar.

5. Pedri Gonzalez – (Spain)

Pedri
(Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)

La Furia Roja are no doubt one of the best nations that possess the qualities to triumph in Qatar, having won the Mundial before with a star-studded squad that includes prominent names like Torres, Iniesta, Sergio Ramos, Alonso, and Xavi.

While all of the above important names have all called time in their respective career on the international stage; all hopes will be on the shoulder of young Pedri, who is the latest midfield sensation from the Spanish production line to lead the nation to yet another success at the world stage.

6. Cristiano Ronaldo – (Portugal)

Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal

Winning the 2016 European Championship, spearheaded by arguably the finest soccer player of all-time Ronaldo, remains Portugal’s biggest achievement at the international stage, having failed to win it in front of their fans in 2004.

With the Mundial set to kickstart in the next few days, the Portuguese fans and soccer-loving neutrals will expect the Manchester United forward to bring his hey-game to the table during the tournament, which will probably be his last World Cup appearance for Portugal.

7. Luka Modrić – (Croatia)

Luka Modric best midfielders in the world 2022
(Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)

Croatia’s trajectory in major tournaments in terms of performances has been quite a phenomenon recently, with their best performance dating back in Russia 2018 when they lost to France in the final.

The captain of the team ‘El-Magico’ Modric, is likely to follow in the steps of those that will probably be calling time on their international career after the World Cup.

But before then, the 37-year-old will be hoping to win a major trophy for Croatia in Qatar having led them to the final in 2018 as the team’s starman.

In Luka Modrić, Croatia have one of the best playmakers in football, and can upset some of the bigger nations.

8. Memphis Depay – (Netherlands)

Memphis Depay Netherlands best soccer players in each country at the World Cup
(Photo by Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images)

The Orange national team can boast of a fascinating blend of youth and experience in their squad as they head into the World Cup, but the gap in quality between their star players and other participating countries could hold them back in achieving success in Qatar.

However, though the Netherlands can’t boast of world-class players in all positions just like they had in the past, they can surely bank on the defensive prowess of Virgil van Dijk and the proficiency of Depay in front of goal for the Netherlands as their talisman in Qatar.

9. Harry Kane – (England)

Harry Kane England best soccer players in each country at the 2022 World Cup
(Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)

The ‘Three Lions’ has always underperformed in major tournaments, but recently under Gareth Southgate, England reached the pinnacle of major tournaments where they got to the finals of the European Championship and a semi-final finish at the World Cup in Russia.

With England set to launch an assault once again on the World Cup trophy in Qatar, Harry Kane, the captain and arguably the biggest star in the squad will definitely be the key man for Southgate’s side as they set to improve on their fourth-place finish in 2018.

10. Heung-min Son – (South Korea)

Heung-min Son
(Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

South Korea defied the odds when they co-hosted the Mundial with Japan in 2002 and surprisingly got to the semi-finals of the tournament beating great teams like Portugal and Italy before they were dumped out.

With another World Cup rightly on the horizon, the Tottenham forward Son has shown time and time throughout his career that his one of the best in world football and is set to lead his country to another major tournament with the hope of achieving success at the end.

The best soccer players in South Korea will all rally behind Heung-min Son, as they hope to do their nation proud.

11. Alphonso Davies – (Canada)

Alphonso Davies Canada World Cup 2022
(Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Canada will be participating in the World Cup in Qatar for the first time since Mexico 1986, with a brilliant squad largely dominated by a blend of youngsters doing well in their respective clubs.

Leading the team out from the tunnel to the pitch when the tournament starts in November will, without doubt, be the country’s biggest star Davies, who has consistently developed his game and also flex muscles on the biggest of stages with top players in world football while at Bayern Munich.

12. Takefusa Kubo – (Japan)

Takefusa Kubo best football players in Japan
(Photo by Alex Gottschalk/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Japan, as a soccer-loving nation, has over the years shown they’re capable of producing phenomenon talents that can ruffle feathers with the biggest boys in the game, with the likes of Nakata, Honda, and Kagawa amongst some of the finest players to have donned the Blue Samurai’s jersey.

With the Asian country set to participate in this year’s World Cup in Qatar, Real Sociedad’s talisman Kubo will be the Blue Samurai’s pivotal figure and go-to man due to his quality on and off the ball for the Asian giant.

Other top soccer players in Japan are Takehiro Tomiyasu, Daichi Kamada,  Kyogo Furuhashi, and Takumi Minamino.

13. Ra̼l Jim̩nez Р(Mexico)

Raúl Jiménez best soccer players in Mexico
(Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)

With few days to the Mundial, there are still legitimate concerns about whether Raul Jimenez will be fit to grace the World Cup, but if he’s available and in form, he’ll definitely be his country’s biggest star and go-to man for goals.

Mexico presently can’t boast of the talent pull they had in the past, but with a blend of their current youngsters and experienced players in the team, ‘El Tri’ can upset the top teams at the tournament.

14. Christian Pulisic – (U.S.A)

Christian Pulisic USMNT World Cup
(Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

If the Americans are to punch above their weight in Qatar, they will need their talisman and captain to be in top form heading into the World Cup.

The Chelsea forward has been one of the stand-out performers for USA during their qualifying campaign, and as we head into the Mundial, fans of the team will hope to see Pulisic take the tournament by storm.

This season at Chelsea under former manager Tuchel, the American captain only played sparingly under the German gaffer, but with a new sheriff Graham Potter in town, Pulisic is gradually picking up form with the World Cup very close by.

15. Sadio Mane – (Senegal)

Sadio Mane Senegal 2022

Suppose the performances of Mane and the Teranga Lions are anything to go by in previous international tournaments, the fans of Senegal should be on the lookout for another scintillating performance from the Aliou Cisse-led side in Qatar, with the former Liverpool talisman spearheading their attack.

Mane played a pivotal role in Senegal’s triumph at the 2021 African Cup of Nations, where he led the team to win their first-ever major trophy on the continent, defeating Egypt in the final on penalties.

Senegal are one of the best African football national teams, and are the continent’s best chance of going far in the tournament.

16. Joshua Kimmich – (Germany)

Joshua Kimmich
(Photo by Martin Rose/Getty Images)

With the likes of Toni Kroos et al. retired from international duty, the next in line to lead Die Mannschaft to yet another World Cup trophy is no doubt Bayern Munich star Kimmich who has over years consistently proven himself on the biggest of stages.

The versatile player is more than comfortable in any position he’s been deployed to play from, a rare quality that makes him a dream player for every top manager.

With four days into the Mundial, Kimmich is one of the best stars to be on the lookout for, with Die Manchaffte being one of the genuine contenders to win the trophy in Qatar.

17. Achraf Hakimi – (Morocco)

Achraf Hakimi Morocco best football players
(Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

The Atlas Lion national team are one of the continent’s representatives flying the flag of Africa in Qatar with Hakimi saddle with the assignment of leading his country to success at the Mundial.

The marauding wingback trajectory has been quite impressive right from his loan spell in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund, where he was named in the 2019-20 team of the year.

With Hakimi’s performances at the 2021 African Cup of Nations still very fresh in the mind of the fans, including him among the stars to watch for Morocco in Qatar isn’t a mistake.

18. Federico Valverde – (Uruguay)

Federico Valverde best football players in Uruguay
(Photo by Berengui/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Federico Valverde is the most in-form Uruguayan player, and that’s not the only thing that stands the midfielder.

The Real Madrid player is versatile and can play anywhere in the midfield and upfront. The 24-year-old can feature as a box-to-box midfielder and shows a sense of leadership in his playing style.

In the 2022/23 season, Fede Valverde has been in brilliant form, scoring for fun. He possesses powerful shooting accuracy, tireless work rate, and superb skill set.

19. Gareth Bale – (Wales)

Gareth Bale best football players in Wales
(Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Gareth Bale falls into the category of the greatest football player in Wales, and he was a massive part of the success story in the qualification for the world cup.

The 33-year-old forward is the captain and record goal scorer for the Welsh national team and will carry the responsibility on his very experienced shoulder.

Had the former Tottenham player retired recently before the qualification for the World Cup, it would be an easy bet that he would have been recalled back into the team.

He moved to the MLS, but even without playing in mainstream Europe, his experience, especially with Real Madrid where he won five UEFA Champions League titles, is enough. If he can do it in qualifying, he can do it at World Cup.

The Welsh legend was one of the best wingers in the world in his prime, but he always played much better whenever he played for his national team

20. Robert Lewandowski – (Poland)

Robert Lewandowski best Polish footballers
(Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Lewandowski’s list of accolades is endless, highest goalscorer gongs here and there, and best football player in Germany and Poland. Multiple Bundesliga winners, UEFA Champions League winners, FIFA Club World Cup, endless.

No one would mind having Robert in their team for any championship talkless as a skipper.

He became captain of the national team in 2015.

The 34-year-old holds the record for both goals and appearances for the Polish national team, with 76 goals in 134 appearances. However, none of these came at the World Cup, and it is surprising.

Poland’s Robert Lewandowski is undoubtedly one of the best strikers to have ever played, but he’s still searching for his first-ever World Cup goal.

21. Hassan Al-Haydos – (Qatar)

Hassan Al-Haydos best football players in Qatar
 (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

Hassan Al-Haydos will command a lot of things for the hosts in the midfield, and expectedly so because he’s the country’s most capped player.

He was instrumental in their run to the 2019 Asian Cup triumph, that wasn’t the only time he has stepped up to carry the country, and they will need his experience once more.

Hassan Al-Haydos stands out among the best Qatari football players at the tournament.

22. Mehdi Taremi – (Iran)

Mehdi Taremi best football players in Iran
Austria. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)

Mehdi Taremi is Iran’s best and most popular player at the moment with his rise to European football and frequent UEFA Champions League experience with Porto.

Taremi is one of the best footballers in the Portuguese League.

He played in the last World Cup, and between then and now, he’s been nominated for the Puskas Award, top scorer award in Portugal, amongst a couple of others.

The Porto forward is seventh on Iran’s top scorers’ list, having scored 27 goals in 58 national team appearances.

23. Martin Boyle – (Australia)

Martin Boyle best Australian Soccer Players 2022
(Photo by Icon Sport/Icon Sport via Getty Images)

If there is anyone who will shoulder Australia’s scoring responsibility, it has to be Scotland-born Hibernian forward Martin Boyle.

The 29-year-old only debuted for Australia in 2018, but has made 18 appearances and scored five goals for the Australians. This season, he has already scored four goals and an assist in the Scottish top flight.

The striker is known for his speed and was in the middle east with Al Faisaly in Saudi Arabia in early 2022. Although Boyle is a right winger, he is also capable of playing as a center-forward. 

24. Firas Al-Buraikan – (Saudi Arabia)

Firas Al-Buraikan best football players in Saudi Arabia
(Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Firas Al-Buraikan is a young but exciting talent for Saudi Arabia and one of their most in-form strikers.

The 22-year-old debuted for the national team as a 19-year-old and scored in 12 qualifiers for the national team for the world cup.

At the club level, he’s already made four goals and one assist, while last season was 11 goals and four assists for his side Al Fateh.

For Saudi, he has four goals in 24 national team caps. The secret to his success for the national team is his link-up play with the midfield, something he must frequently do at the World cup in Qatar.

25. Mois̩s Caicedo Р(Ecuador)

Moisés Caicedo
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND – (Photo by MB Media/Getty Images)

Moisés Caicedo is a box-to-box midfielder that Ecuador will find very necessary for their team in Qatar; after all, the 20-year-old is the highest assist provider for the team in qualifying.

He also has the third-highest number of ball recoveries in the team in addition to his two goals. His work rate will be needed and instrumental.

Caicedo is a combative, aggressive and hardworking defensive midfielder, who will be important for coach Gustavo Alfaro.

26. Christian Eriksen – (Denmark)

Christian Eriksen

Christian Eriksen is not just one of the best footballers in Denmark, but also on of the best Danish footballers of all time.

After a challenging Euro 2020, where Erikson suffered health issues, the midfielder has managed to bounce back and helped Denmark qualify for the World Cup.

Since then, he has returned to the Premier League, first with Brentford and now Manchester United. However, he returned to the international scene scoring within two minutes of introduction to the game.

Eriksen continues to dictate in the middle of the pitch for United and Denmark and is one of the country’s top five leading goalscorers in history; he is going to be important at the world with his 38 goals.

27. I̱aki Williams Р(Ghana)

Inaki Williams best footballers in Ghana
(Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)

After jettisoning Spain for Ghana, all eyes will be on Inaki Williams and how he settles in with the Black Stars. The 28-year-old, who has played for Athletic Club in La Liga all his life, will give the West Africans attacking options.

His fitness is an added advantage; having played 230 matches in a row without missing any, his speed will come in handy. Inaki Williams is one of the few footballers who never get injured.

If Ghana are to go far in the 2022 World Cup, he will be one of the driving forces.

His brother, Nico Williams, will play for Spain at the World Cup. Hence, they will join the list of brothers who played football for different countries at the World Cup.

28. Aleksandar Mitrovic – (Serbia)

Aleksandar Mitrović best football players in Serbia
(Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images)

Aleksandar Mitrović is a striker Serbs love to see in action, and the 27-year-old is more or less a target man.

His ability in the air and proficiency in heading the ball will come in handy against agile and tall Cameroonians, technical and tactical Brazil, and fellow Europeans Switzerland.

Mitrović isn’t one to be bullied by defenders, and this has seen him score 50 goals in 76 appearances for the national team, making him Serbia’s all time top scorer.

For Fulham last season in the Championship, he scored a whopping 43 goals in 44 matches to lead them to the Premier League, where he has also scored nine times in 12 matches.

Going into the World Cup in this form will be fun for him and Serbia fans, who will want to see how well he combines with Dušan Vlahović or Dušan Tadić.

29. Granit Xhaka – (Switzerland)

Granit Xhaka best football players in Switzerland
(Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Arsenal’s midfielder, Granit Xhaka, is one of the most prominent players in the Swiss team and certainly one of the most experienced.

The midfielder can play as a defensive midfielder and fit in as a box-to-box midfielder. He has 104 appearances for the national team and has scored 12 goals.

His qualities involve aggressive tackling, can also find a defense-splitting pass when necessary. He’s going to be one of the leaders in the European team and a point to prove after injury limited his Appearances in the last World Cup.

30. Andr̩-Frank Zambo Anguissa Р(Cameroon)

Zambo Anguissa best football players in Cameroon
(Photo by Guiseppe Maffia/NESImages/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Zambo Anguissa has scored two goals and assisted three in the league despite his defensive midfield position.

Although he is a talented box-to-box midfielder, Anguissa is an underrated footballer. However, he is currently one if the best football players in Cameroon.

For Cameroon, he has played 42 appearances since making his debut in 2017 and will be a big part of the defensive formation for the Indomitable Lions.

Alongside defender Collins Fai, Anguissa will be a source of defensive motivation if any of their attacking prowess must yield fruits at the FIFA World Cup

31. Wahbi Khazri – (Tunisia)

Wahbi Khazri is Tunisia’s most important player right now. The Montpellier forward has been a crucial figure for the national team since he switched his international allegiance to Tunisia.

Khazri has represented Tunisia at five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, playing over 70 matches and scoring 24 goals for them.

32. Keylor Navas – (Costa Rica)

Keylor Navas
(Photo by Paris Saint-Germain Football/PSG via Getty Images)

The Costa Rican goalkeeper is the main man of his country when it comes to soccer.

He plays for French Ligue 1 side PSG and has won a number of trophies in his career.

He is also one of the most experienced players in team. Navas has represented the country at two CONCACAF Gold Cups and the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups.

The 35-year-old won the CONCACAF Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year award for three consecutive years between 2016 and 2018. 

His exceptional displays at the 2014 FIFA World Cup enabled Costa Rica reach the quarterfinals. 

Keylor Navas is one of the best North Americans in World Cup history.

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