World Cup 2022 Team of the quarter-finals, starring Messi and Modric

Karan Tejwani

• 10 Dec 2022 16:35 CST
• 6 min read

And then there were four.

The World Cup is approaching its final days as Croatia, Argentina, France and Morocco reach the semi-finals of the tournament with a place in the final on the line.

The quarter-finals were memorable, with all four games having intense drama, joy and heartbreak as the four aforementioned names are two wins from World Cup glory.

World Cup 2022 top scorers

World Cup 2022 most assists

With that, here is the best team from the last eight of the World Cup.

Emiliano Martinez

It’s hard to pick a goalkeeper for this round – all four from the winning teams had starring roles and like Emiliano Martinez, Croatia’s Dominik Livakovic also had a key role in a shoot-out win.

Martinez saved two penalties in the shoot-out win over the Netherlands, with two well-struck shots from Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis being denied by Aston Villa man.

He’ll now be hoping to add more wins to this tournament, and complete his dream of winning the World Cup in the coming days.

Nahuel Molina

There were a few great performances from right-back as well, especially from Morocco, but Nahuel Molina will take plaudits, mainly because of his contribution in the win over the Netherlands.

He scored the opener in the game, picking up a wonderful ball from Lionel Messi and calmly slotting into the net, making his mark in the game.

He’s set to miss the semi-final against Croatia due to accumulated bookings, but his impact has been made over the course of the tournament.

Josko Gvardiol

Josko Gvardiol is well on course to win the Best Young Player of the Tournament for his impressive displays over the course of the tournament.

Gvardiol had a monstrous display in Croatia’s win over Brazil, following that from his last 16 display against Japan and he is proving why he’s one of the world’s best young players.

Now, he’ll be hoping to repeat that in Croatia’s match against Argentina and help his nation progress to yet another World Cup final.

Jawaq El Yamiq

Morocco are the heroes of this World Cup, becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-finals of the tournament in history.

Defensively, they have been solid, yet to concede a goal from an opposition player all tournament and that has spurred them on this far.

Defender Jawaq El Yamiq was brilliant in Morocco’s win over Portugal and after the team losing players through injury, he will be hoping to step up once again against France.

Marcos Acuna

Marcos Acuna has had an important role for Argentina since their opening defeat against Saudi Arabia, making an impact in the team from an attacking perspective.

In the win in the semi-final, Acuna charged forward to win the penalty that Lionel Messi converted to double Argentina’s lead.

Despite the fact that Argentina threw their lead, Acuna had a decent performance and will want to carry that forward.

Sofyan Amrabat

Sofyan Amrabat is a strong shot for the tournament’s Golden Ball after a string of strong displays in Morocco’s heroic run to the last four.

Amrabat has been a strong defensive presence in midfield, providing energy and strength, and from nowhere, he’s been one of the World Cup’s best.

In his three games against Canada, Spain and Portugal, he has been a rock in midfield as Morocco continue to push for history.

Luka Modric

Not much more is left to be said about Luka Modric: at 37-years-old, he is just as important for club and country as he was when he was younger.

Against Brazil, he was calm and composed as he always has been, playing the full 120 minutes and ensuring Croatia progress.

If Croatia’s midfield was their biggest strength against Brazil, Modric was at the heart of it all.

Mateo Kovacic

As stated, Croatia’s midfield was their biggest strength against Brazil and like Modric, Kovacic also stood out and was crucial to the progression of the team.

The entire idea of the Croatian midfield of Kovacic, Modric and Brozovic was to pass, move and rotate and they did just that.

Against Argentina, they will be hoping to win the midfield battle again, with Kovacic key to it all.

Lionel Messi

At 35, Lionel Messi is still the star of this World Cup and he’s backed up the hype with a goal and assist, as well as a converted penalty in the shoot-out against the Netherlands.

His pass for Molina’s goal was supreme, finding an angle that did not exist and he was lucky the right-back converted his chance.

For the rest of the game, he was at his dribbling best, controlling the game at a pace only he understands and adding a sprinkle of aggression at the end.

Youssef En-Nesyri

Another Moroccan hero in the team is Youssef En-Nesyri, who rose high against Portugal to send his nation into the World Cup semi-final.

It was a leap for his nation, region and continent as En-Nesyri was adamant on putting Morocco in front and making history for his nation.

Against France, he’ll be handy again: his aerial threat and energy is a huge advantage to have on a team.

Antoine Griezmann

Antoine Griezmann has been one of France’s most important players for years and he’s proving that once again at this World Cup.

Although France weren’t at their brilliant best in the quarter-final win over France, Griezmann stood out for his energy and provided two assists.

At this rate, he’s a quiet shout for the tournament’s Golden Ball and is backing up that claim with solid performances.