Top 10 Stars That Impressed For Their Nation At World Cup Opener
The activity for the Qatar 2022 World Cup started on November 20th, and since then, a lot has happened.
Some football players have performed well for their nation throughout the World Cup competition.
Some who were injured before the tournament began have yet to start, while others have ignored their injury concerns to continue playing for their squad.
In 20 appearances across five FIFA World Cups, Lionel Messi has scored seven goals (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022). According to the statistics, Leo Messi averages merely 0.35 goals per game over football World Cups.
After taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, Cristiano Ronaldo created history for himself. The Portuguese forward’s 65th-minute penalty in a 3-2 victory against Ghana on Thursday made him the first male player to score at five World Cups.
The man of the match was won by a number of players who also played exceptionally well for their teams in the opening world cup game.
Naija News highlights the number of players who have been impressed for their countries.
Gareth Bale
According to Gabriel Agbonlahor, Gareth Bale was Wales’ worst player in their World Cup opening against the United States. Despite that, the Welshman scored a last-second equaliser for Rob Page’s team, and was selected as the player of the game
Gavi
In Spain’s resounding 7-0 victory against Costa Rica on Wednesday, Gavi scored the game’s fifth goal and put up a performance worthy of the man of the match award.
Kylian Mbappe
In the opening match of Group D, France defeated Australia thanks to a worthy performance from Kylian Mbappe, who also put on a performance deserving of the man of the match award.
Federico Valverde
Even though Uruguay and South Korea battled to a scoreless draw, Real Madrid star Federico Valverde grabbed the Man of the Match award on his World Cup debut. The player impressed with his performance as he worked tirelessly to help his team gain the upper hand.
Bukayo Saka
As England’s World Cup campaign got off to an incredible start, Bukayo Saka embraced the opportunity for atonement by scoring twice and winning player of the match honours.
Kelvin De Bruyne
After Belgium’s unimpressive victory, Kevin De Bruyne said he was awarded Man of the Match. The playmaker for Manchester City was recognised as the game’s outstanding performer after his nation won its first World Cup encounter 1-0.
Cody Gakpo
The Netherland’s forward scored the game-winning goal against Senegal in the first Qatar 2022 World Cup match, sending a message to Manchester United as he grabs the Player of the match for himself.
Critiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo won Player of the Match for his effort against Ghana, which helped Portugal win 3-2 and made him the first person to score in five separate World Cup competitions. Following a foul, he nets the first goal for his country.
Richarlison
The Brazilian attacker scores twice for his nation against Serbia in the first round of group play. The striker dazzled all onlookers with a whirling volley that may go down as one of the finest goals of the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Mohammed Al Owais
In the second half, there were challengers for Saudi Arabia all over the field, but goalkeeper Al Owais in particular stood out for his nation in their triumph against Argentina.
This article was originally published on Naija News
