QuincyAbeyie don't know about best in the world but yeah, I applied a big slice of PSG/Ligue 1 tax on his revival this season.

Funny how Argentina never looked this good with prime Messi, Di Maria, Aguero, Dybala, Higuain etc. They had some god awful managers in that time though.

      Clrnc looks a super talent. Benfica will be dreaming of dollar signs tonight.

        goon They always had terrible defences and keepers during those time.

        I mean, Romero, Abondanzieri etc + absolutely poverty fullbacks. These days they could afford to have 50m Martinez on the bench, rotate Acuna/Tagliafico and Molina/Montiel etc. Scaloni deserves huge credit too. That game plan in the first half to concentrate all their entire attack on the right side only to constantly thread balls through to Di Maria for a Kounde 1v1 was superb.

          goon at the same time Argentina also were runners ups to the Copa America three times and the 2014 WC. I think their underperformance was exaggerated - if luck went slightly the other way the narrative would be completely different.

              Being a final, that was probably the greatest game of all time. What an epic. Messi always felt destined to win and the contrast between his and Ronaldo's contributions in this tournament couldn't have been more stark.

              Feel for Mbappe though. Joins Hurst as a hattrick scorer in a final and one of only a handful to score in 2 finals. Great hit for the 2nd goal.

              Can't help feeling happy for Martinez too. A little over 3 years ago he was our 3rd choice. At the time it felt wrong backing Leno, and I know we all now love Ramsdale but it was still the wrong call.

                invisibleman18 7 years ago he was struggling to buy a start for Rotherham. It's just such an amazing story and he loves Arsenal too.

                Ramsdale isn't far off his level currently but hard to imagine him being such a insane character to single handedly win a country their WC with that kind of save in the 122th minute.

                • goon replied to this.

                    Epic World Cup overall. Looking forward to getting some sleep now! These things are always a bit rough being on this side of the world. Managed to watch almost every game. For the final group stage games I mainly watched the one I thought was most interesting (ie, both teams still playing to get through) on my TV while having the other one playing on my phone to keep checking in. Only game I missed entirely was Senegal-Qatar as had a visitor staying and couldn't get away with watching all 4 games that day. Spain-Costa Rica I gave up on at half time (was watching delayed so moved onto the next game with that one over as a contest).

                    For the last couple of World Cups I remember catching buses/trains at ridiculous times to be able watch games in a bar in town before work. Now that working from home is a thing it's been easier to manage!

                    Enzo Fernandez is class. Love the way he uses ball rolls to create space or escape pressure.

                    Wonder where he’ll end up. PSG probably.

                    Other less obvious/lesser known players who stood out. Muani, Ounahi, Amrabat, Embolo, Musah, and Dest

                    Clrnc Ramsdale is a good character too Tbf, just look at how he trolls away fans.

                    Whether he’s quite as good at penalties or would have the gall to chuck the ball away is another matter.

                      Thinking about the team of tourney. Could include
                      Messi, Mbappe, Griezmann
                      Modric, Arambat, Ounahi, Enzo
                      Garviol, Hakimi, Acuna
                      Emi

                      Tchouameni, Saka, Bellingham honorable mention.

                        Mirth true but I was mostly referring to their performances. For the insane levels of talent they had they always looked atrocious. Even in 2014. Clrnc is right though, this side has a much better spread of talent. No point having 8 very good forwards when only 2 of them get picked. England have a similar problem at the moment.

                          Incredible tournament, has to be one of the best World Cups I've watched. Having it mid season has made a big difference imo. The players have a lot more energy and the games were a lot more intense. I think going forward the mid season world cup needs to be considered. Usually after a long hard season most players are dead on their feet.

                          Thought Argentina were far better than France for most of the game, in midfield France were completely overrun. Argentina always looked like they could create chances and did create a fair few.

                          Fitting for Messi to win this way, his career is now complete and can finally put aside any doubts about him being there with all time greats. He's had a complicated relationship with the national team and fans, have felt in recent years that isn't the case. Was outstanding and driving force behind Argentina this tournament.

                          Shout out to Mbappe, lots of talk about him in recent months but the guy is ready to take over. This guy still has another 3 World cups in him, next two he will be at his absolute peak imo. Wonder if Zidane takes over, for the talent that country has they should be playing a lot better football imo! Can't argue with Deschamps record though.

                          Claudius

                          Mine. And added a few other categories for this unforgettable world cup. Having withdrawal symptoms now its over ffs.

                          Emi
                          Hakimi Aguerd Gvardiol AttilatAllah
                          Amrabat Ounahi Enzo
                          Griezmann
                          Messi Mbappe

                          Subs: Bono, Souttar, Behich, Dumfries, Talbi, Davies, Modric, Bellingham, Adams, Mitoma, Doan, Kudus, Saka, Alvarez.

                          Basically I have included everyone that impressed me whenever I seen them live and our group stages heroes are not to be forgotten.

                          Team of the Tournament: Morocco
                          Golden Ball: Messi
                          Golden Glove: Bono
                          Breakout star: Ounahi
                          Biggest Disappointment: Brazil
                          Biggest Upset: Saudi vs Argentina
                          Most memorable match: Korea 2-3 Ghana (would have been the final if I watched it live)
                          Most forgettable match: Tunisia vs Denmark
                          Best Atmosphere: Morocco vs Portugal
                          Worst Atmosphere: Denmark vs Australia
                          WC Rating: 9/10 - Possibly the best WC ever, minus 1 because of the human rights and FIFA/Qatar factor

                              I wonder if the end of the club season will pay for this. As players go long. Hopefully, our squad will still be fresh because they all sat on the bench or were sat at home. But teams like City, United and Spurs could suffer

                              City key players were all knocked out early as well so unlikely they will suffer much.

                              Alvarez transformed Argentina. Having someone up front who chased everything and made runs in behind the line made Argentina a much better team.

                              Incredible final but overall a strange and forgettable World Cup. So many ties decided by penalty kicks, no red cards, Brazil going out early...

                              And I hate that Argentina won it. What a bunch of thugs. Paredes is a psycho and Martinez is a clown.