Across its 92-year history, the World Cup has provided a platform for players to elevate their game to new heights and enhance their reputation while representing their country on the biggest international stage.
The 2022 tournament in Qatar has been no different and clubs across the globe will now have their scouting systems in full force as they seek to bolster their squads with fresh talent in the New Year.
While Argentina stormed all the way to lift their third world title, the likes of Morocco, Croatia and Japan exceeded expectations, and there were also plenty of shock results at the first-ever winter World Cup.
Now that the 2022 World Cup has come to a close, Sports Mole takes a look at five breakout stars who excelled for their country in the Middle East.
Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco)
© Reuters
One of the surprise packages at this year's World Cup were Morocco who became the first-ever African nation to reach the semi-finals, and they were led brilliantly in the heart of midfield by Fiorentina lynchpin Sofyan Amrabat.
The 26-year-old featured for only 14 minutes at his first World Cup in 2018, but he played every minute across Morocco's seven matches in Qatar and the protection that he provided in front of the back four helped the Atlas Lions keep a tournament-high four clean sheets.
Amrabat recovered possession a total of 57 times, more than any other player in a single World Cup since records began back in 1966, with his crunching tackle on Kylian Mbappe in the semi-final up there with one of the challenges of the tournament.
The tenacious midfielder was a key cog in Walid Regragui's well-oiled machine that beat the likes of Belgium, Spain and Portugal on their memorable journey to the last four, before losing out to France and then Croatia in the third-place playoff.
Amrabat's eye-catching performances are understood to have alerted the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid ahead of the New Year, but the Fiorentina man – who has amassed 78 appearances since joining La Viola in 2020 – insists he still has "a lot of respect" for his current club.
Azzedine Ounahi (Morocco)
© Reuters
Amrabat was joined in Morocco's midfield by Angers youngster Azzedine Ounahi, who was another breakout star from the Atlas Lions to emerge at the 2022 World Cup.
The 22-year-old was a relative unknown heading to Qatar but his performances have resulted in many waxing lyrical about the midfielder, including former Spain boss Luis Enrique who said he was "pleasantly surprised" by the Moroccan No.8.
Ounahi was playing in the third tier of French football with Avranches just 18 months ago and he only made his international debut in January at the Africa Cup of Nations before going on to feature in all seven of Morocco's matches in Qatar.
Born in Casablanca, Ounahi established himself as a complete midfielder in Regragui's side, with his infectious flair and energy duly complementing his defensive duties alongside Amrabat.
Ounahi has made 47 appearances for Ligue 1 basement club Angers since joining them in the summer of 2021, but his efforts at the World Cup could be rewarded with a move to a top European team amid interest from the likes of Barcelona and a number of Premier League clubs including Leicester City and West Ham United.
Enzo Fernandez (Argentina)
© Reuters
Enzo Fernandez only made his international debut in September and featured just three times as a substitute prior to the 2022 World Cup, but the 21-year-old was one of the star performers in Argentina's triumphant squad along with the likes of Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez and Alexis Mac Allister.
After impressing in cameo appearances off the bench in Argentina's first two group matches – the second of which saw him score his first-ever international goal in the 2-0 win over Mexico – Fernandez cemented his place in Lionel Scaloni's starting lineup for the next five fixtures up to and including the final.
Indeed, the Benfica man excelled in the final against France, boasting more touches (118), more successful passes (77) and more tackles (10) than any other player on the pitch – his 10 tackles were also the most by any player in a World Cup final since Italy's Gennaro Gattuso (15) in 2006.
Fernandez's fine form in Qatar was rewarded with the Young Player of the Tournament prize, fending off competition from the likes of Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni and compatriot Alvarez.
The all-round midfielder arrived at Benfica from River Plate over the summer, but he has already been linked with a big-money move to an elite European club, with the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Real Madrid all set to battle for his signature in 2023.
Goncalo Ramos (Portugal)
© Reuters
Another exciting prospect from Benfica is Goncalo Ramos, who announced himself on the global stage in emphatic fashion when he netted a stunning hat-trick on his first senior start for Portugal in their 6-1 victory over Switzerland in the last 16.
The 21-year-old striker had only featured for 33 minutes across three substitute appearances before facing the Swiss, where he was boldly selected to start ahead of Portugal's all-time record goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo.
Nevertheless, Ramos took his opportunity in the first team with both hands and scored the first hat-trick by any player in Qatar, before Mbappe followed suit for France in the final, while he also assisted Raphael Guerreiro for Portugal's fourth goal of the last-16 clash in Lusail.
Ramos was rewarded with a second successive start in the quarter-final defeat against Morocco and although he failed to get on the scoresheet, he came away from Qatar in high spirits as well as the first player from Portugal to score a treble in a World Cup knockout game since national icon Eusebio back 1966.
The Benfica academy graduate – who has 14 goals in 21 appearances for the Portuguese giants so far this season – has since been heavily linked with a potential exit ahead of 2023, with Ronaldo's former club Manchester United believed to be interested in his services, while Barcelona allegedly turned down the chance to sign the striker over the summer.
Dominik Livakovic (Croatia)
© Reuters
After watching on from the substitutes' bench as Croatia reached the final four years ago, Dominik Livakovic was handed the number one jersey at the 2022 World Cup and was one of the standout shot-stoppers in Qatar.
The 27-year-old kept two clean sheets in the group stage against Morocco and Belgium, before saving four penalties across two shootout triumphs in the last 16 and quarter-finals against Japan and Brazil respectively, the joint-most in World Cup history along with compatriot Danijel Subasic.
Livakovic, who narrowly missed out on the Golden Glove award to Argentina's Emiliano Martinez, also made a total of 11 saves against Brazil before the tie went to penalties, the most by a Croatian goalkeeper in a single World Cup match.
While highly-rated defender Josko Gvardiol is receiving plenty of plaudits for his efforts in Qatar, Livakovic also deserves credit for his consistent displays between the sticks, showcasing his remarkable reflexes and shot-stopping specialities from 12 yards.
Livakovic has spent his entire club career at Dinamo Zagreb, but the Zadar-born goalkeeper is out of contract in 2024 and has recently been linked with a potential switch to Bayern Munich. The likes of Manchester United, Leicester City and Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, allegedly turned down the chance to sign the goalkeeper for a cut-price fee between £5m and £10m over the summer.
Oliver Thomas
