Goalkeeper: Dominik Livakovic (Croatia) — A performance of a lifetime against Brazil in the quarter-finals saw Livakovic equal the record for most saves in a single match at this World Cup with 12. He also went on to smother two Brazilian efforts in the shootout, forever etching his name in Croatia’s short but splendid footballing history. Although he let in three goals against Argentina in the semi-final, he also made two crucial saves to spare his nation humiliation
Right-back: Achraf Hakimi (Morocco) — The sole indispensable presence in a constantly changing backline for Morocco during the knockouts, Hakimi has emerged from the World Cup with his reputation enhanced as the game’s most dynamic wing-back. Against Portugal, the PSG man was a persistent threat down the right, and even though his attacking input was limited against France, he did make a couple of vital interventions to keep his good friend Kylian Mbappe off the scoresheet
Centre-back: Cristian Romero (Argentina) — After a sluggish start to the World Cup, Argentina’s defensive hitman has hit top form and fitness in the knockouts. As long as he was on the field against the Netherlands, Argentina looked impenetrable. Naturally, Lionel Scaloni kept him on for the entire 90 minutes against Croatia, where Romero’s aggression and take-no-prisoners attitude kept Croatia’s fluid attack at bay
Centre-back: Jawad El Yamiq (Morocco) — Asked to step into the back four due to a series of injuries to his teammates, El Yamiq settled into Morocco’s defence seamlessly against Portugal. A jack-of-all-trades defender whose first instinct is to get the ball out of harm’s way, El Yamiq was magnificent in the quarter-final, before putting in a solid showing in a losing cause against the defending champions in the next round
Left-back: Theo Hernandez (France) — Those expecting the name Hernandez to star at left-back for France in Qatar would be forgiven for thinking about Lucas. Instead, it has been younger brother Theo who has filled Lucas’s shoes with aplomb. Tested but not tormented by England in the quarter-final, Hernandez scored the most important goal of his career when he neatly fired in a rebound to give France an early lead against Morocco
Right-central midfield: Rodrigo De Paul (Argentina) — Quite possibly playing through injury, De Paul has not been at his efficient best for Argentina. And yet, he has been effective. Partly through his indomitable personality, which has ensured his teammates stay switched on at all times. Against the Dutch, it was De Paul’s substitution that made Argentina fragile, whereas against Croatia, the fiery midfielder played his part in finishing the job before he got taken off
Left-central midfield: Aurelien Tchouameni (France) — The 22-year-old Swiss knife of a midfielder from Real Madrid has come off age at the World Cup. Even though France love to surrender the ball and hit teams on the break, Tchouameni has been instrumental in possession, while also doing his share of running to retain the team’s compact shape. His outstanding contribution, however, will remain his cracking long-ranger against England that unlocked the door in what seemed set to be a battle of attrition
Right wing: Lionel Messi (Argentina) — Two more knockout games, two more Messi moments of pure magic. First, a no-look reverse pass to set up the opener against the Dutch that only Messi could have spotted, let alone executed. Second, a lesson in close-control dribbling against Croatia that Josko Gvardiol will remember for as long as he plays. All this apart from three ice-cold penalties that made light of the immense pressure he was under
Left wing: Sofiane Boufal (Morocco) — The most exquisitely named player at this World Cup, Boufal has had a virtually flawless tournament. His innate grace and flair on the ball not only gave Morocco a cutting edge against Portugal, but also produced some of the team’s best chances against France. Good luck to Sevilla retaining this gem in January
Central-attacking midfield: Antoine Griezmann (France) — Floating around in the space between midfield and attack, Griezmann has been splendid to watch in Qatar. While England may have kept a lid on him for most of the quarter-final, Morocco had no clue what to do with a man who is too elusive to be marked for 90 minutes. No wonder then that the Atletico forward ran the show in the semi-final, dropping into pockets of empty grass and performing a range of roles from quarter-back to playmaker to that of the false nine
Striker: Julian Alvarez (Argentina) — After years of frustration with number nines at major tournaments, Argentina are finally reaping the rewards of having a clinical finisher up top with one of the finds of this World Cup. Alvarez’s relentless running was pivotal in opening space up for Messi in the quarters, while his two goals in the semis, the second of which saw him run through half the field and the entire Dutch defence, may endure as the most replayed highlight of his entire career
