Big Willie He got the trophy and will get all the plaudits like Ronaldo did when he won the Euros but one didn't even play in the final, and the other wasn't even his team's best performer. Di Maria and Martinez (just like at the Copa America mind you) were huge reasons for the win, especially Martinez.

What does it even mean to "carry his team to the WC" then? Every team has more than one player being the reason for winning something, that's why a red card is a huge disadvantage for a team no matter who it is who gets it. I'm not sure if you're talking about the final specifically or the tournament, but Messi was definitely Argentina's best player of the tournament, and it wasn't really close. Nevermind that many of his goals were penalties, he was involved in pretty much every goal they scored. Di Maria was injured for most of the cup and didnt' even play half of the total minutes. Martinez was good, sure. Do any WC winning teams in history have only one player performing well?

I'd say out of the 6 MotM awards Messi got in his 7 world cup games, the only one where he wasn't the best player on the pitch was maybe the final, and even there he should've had a couple of extra assists for Lautaro.

    jones was too young/didn't watch football during USA '94 but it seemed like a great tournament.

    France '98 was my first and will be number one to me due to the nostalgia and Ronnie-gate drama. And Dennis' goal of course.

    This was right up there though, considering the circumstances/politics around it, it was an incredible World Cup.

        Mirth This guy loves being the centre of attention!

          If Jordi Alba was Argentine, this would be the third World Cup for Messi imo

            Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert Don't really remember anything from 94 bar Baggio's pen and Leonardo getting sent off but I watched the shit out of tapes of it in the late 90s. 98 was great, 06 was class and 10 and 18 were fun to watch too.

            Will have to wait for some time to pass but even trying to think as a neutral 22 might have surpassed all of them.

              arsedocmd if Higuain and Agüero didn't turn full donkey all of a sudden he'd 100% have at least one more. Seems to be some Argentine curse that afflicts at least one player per big tourney, Lautaro this time around and I don't recall which tournament specifically but Tevez usually played like shit for Argentina too.

                Clrnc

                Claudius
                No place for Anguissa? Thought he carried his quality into the tournament. Together with Mac Allister (all the basics consistently), Bellingham (movement, press, runs), Greizmann (creativity, counter attacking, defending), Modric and Casemiro (passing penetration) would be my stand out midfielders. Admittedly didn't watch a lot of Morocco.

                      Mirth At 15 seconds when he says "listen to me carefully," it would have been amazing if he then said "I shall say zis only once."

                        Great World Cup. Not as good as 82, 86 or 90 though. Those three are out there on their own.

                          90 had good groups but and knockouts but a shit final. Can’t comment on earlier tournaments.

                          KingslandBarge

                          Those are all good shouts but I like my guys.

                          I think Fifa will think long and hard about more mid season tournaments where appropriate. The players were largely in peak condition. So impressive.

                              Claudius not the worst idea to have it alternating between January and July depending on where the tournament is.

                                Yeah. If they do a Morocco tournament, they should do it mideason. I would’ve done a Mexico tournament mideason as well but they’re going to mix it up with this US monstrosity in 2024. That tournament will be a mess.

                                  jones No way he remembers 82. I don't remember 82 and, sadly, am a little bit older than my Kentish friend.