We select a 2022 World Cup data-driven Team of the Tournament using Infogol player ratings, which take into account every shot-based and non-shot-based action a player makes in a football match, and while there are a few surprises, the big hitters remain.
Dominik Livakovi is the goalkeeper (Croatia)
It was a close call between Dominik Livakovi and Bono of Morocco, but the Croat wins due to his tournament-leading post-shot expected goals (psxG) stats.
The Dinamo Zagreb goalkeeper has faced 9.3 psxG chances, which means that an average keeper would have been expected to concede roughly nine goals, but Livakovi has only allowed six. With his penalty heroics, it was difficult to leave him out.
Nahuel Molina, right-back (Argentina)
From a statistical standpoint, there haven't been many standout right-backs at the tournament, but Nahuel Molina has had a solid tournament for an Argentina side that has gone as far as they can.
He has a goal and an assist, and he contributes 0.13 expected goal involvements (xGI) per 95 minutes for an Argentine defense that has kept clean sheets in half of its six games.
Harry Maguire, center-back (England)
Despite the pre-tournament negativity surrounding Harry Maguire, the Manchester United defender performed admirably in Qatar, earning the highest Infogol player rating of any centre-back with 7.25.
He not only contributed three clean sheets for the Three Lions, but he was also a threat on the other end of the pitch, taking six shots for 0.40 xG.
Ibrahima Konate, center-back (France)
Despite appearing in only four matches for finalists France, Konate has looked far more assured than his teammates and has the second highest rating of any center-back.
He's also a threat from attacking set-pieces, with 0.52 xG from two shots.
Theo Hernandez, left-back (France)
France brought in Theo Hernandez after his brother Lucas was injured in their opener, and while his defensive play has been shaky at times, his attacking output has been impressive.
At the tournament, he has one goal and two assists, averaging 0.26 expected assists (xA) per 95 minutes.
Casemiro, center midfield (Brazil)
There weren't many midfielders at the tournament who performed well according to Infogol's metric, but Brazil's key midfield cog Casemiro did.
He averaged 2.56 tackles per game, impressing on defense, and he also scored the game-winning goal against Switzerland to ensure his team finished first in the group.
Bruno Fernandes plays center midfield (Portugal)
Fernandes ranked first among all midfielders in the tournament according to Infogol's metrics, with a 7.55 rating.
He contributed to Portugal's attacking play, scoring twice and assisting three times in four games, averaging 0.74 xGI/95.
Neymar Jr., attacking midfielder (Brazil)
Neymar missed two of his country's games due to injury, but he shone in his limited minutes.
Two goals and one assist, including the game-winning goal against Croatia in the quarterfinals, is a respectable return from 294 minutes of football, with his xGI per 95 being a whopping 1.27.
Lionel Messi plays on the right wing (Argentina)
In Qatar, the little magician was unplayable at times, posing a constant threat to opponents and almost single-handedly propelling Argentina to the final.He has five goals and three assists in six games, with 5.53 xG and 2.93 xA, indicating no overperformance on the underlying numbers. His xGI/95 of 1.24 is impressive, and he has the highest Infogol player rating of anyone at the World Cup - 8.69.
Kylian Mbappe, left wing (France)
Kylian Mbappe, Messi's PSG teammate, has also had a fantastic tournament, with opponents struggling to deal with his pace and directness.
With five goals and two assists entering the final, he has led France to within one game of achieving the historic feat of retaining the World Cup. His sheer presence has scared opponents and given his teammates more room to thrive, averaging 0.91 xGI/95.
Olivier Giroud, striker (France)
Olivier Giroud, the tournament's forgotten man at the start, has made his mark in Qatar. The AC Milan striker was supposed to be second fiddle to Karim Benzema, but the Real Madrid striker's injury meant he had to step up once more.
He not only scored four goals on 3.78 xG, but he also became France's all-time leading scorer, surpassing Thierry Henry. He was the best performing striker in Qatar, with a World Cup rating of 8.10.
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