FIFA

FIFA World 11 analysis: Who made it? Who missed out?

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FIFA have revealed the 11 players who made their FIFPro men’s World XI for 2022 and there is plenty of debate regarding the selections.

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A reminder: the 11 players selected are voted for by FIFPro members, who are professional players across the globe. Players from over 68 leagues voted and 18,640 votes were collected.

The 3-3-4 formation is unique in itself and some of the players included in this list have definitely had a rougher start to 2023.

A very important reminder: these selections are based on form for club and country from August 8 2021 to 18 December 2022. So, the entire 2021-22 campaign and then the first half of the 2022-23 season up until the end of the World Cup.

Below is the FIFA FIFPro World 11 for 2022, with some analysis on the players who made it and some who should have been very close to making it.


FIFA World 11 team for 2022

Goalkeeper
Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid, Belgium)

Defenders
Joao Cancelo (Manchester City/Bayern Munich, Portugal)
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool, Netherlands)
Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain, Morocco)

Midfielders
Casemiro (Real Madrid/Manchester United, Brazil)
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City, Belgium)
Luka Modric (Real Madrid, Croatia)

Forwards
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, France)
Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund/Manchester City, Norway)
Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain, Argentina)

FIFA World 11
Getty Images

Analysis on selections

Given his heroics in the UEFA Champions League final it is tough to argue that Thibaut Courtois didn’t deserve to be named as the goalkeeper but Emiliano Martinez and Alisson also had a fine last 16-month period. Manuel Neuer, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and Ederson are always going to be in this conversation too.

Defensively, both Joao Cancelo and Virgil van Dijk have struggled in recent months so it’s strange to see them in there. That said, think about how good Cancelo was for Manchester City as they surged back to win the Premier League title last season. And also, how dominant was Virgil van Dijk as Liverpool almost won the quadruple?

Other defenders who could have made this list include Real Madrid and Brazil defender Eder Militao, plus his teammates David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger. Chelsea’s Reece James has also been sensational, as was Liverpool’s Joel Matip until the final few months of 2022, Ruben Dias of Manchester City and Portugal and Croatia and RB Leipzig star Josko Gvardiol has also been consistently excellent.

In midfield, you can’t really argue with that trio. Casemiro has been immense since joining Manchester United and was crucial in Real Madrid’s UEFA Champions League and La Liga title success to round off the 2021-22 campaign. So too was Luka Modric and he led Croatia to third-place in the World Cup as he continues to roll back the years and defy logic with his incredible engine. Kevin de Bruyne boggles the mind on a weekly basis with his brilliance for Manchester United.

A few players who would be worth a shout in midfield: Pedri and Gavi from Barcelona/Spain, Rodrigo Bentancur from Tottenham/Uruguay, Bruno Fernandes from Manchester United/Portugal, Aurelien Tchouameni from Real Madrid/France, Bernado Silva from Manchester City/Portugal and Rodri from Manchester City/Spain.

Up front, the four forwards are hard to look past. Benzema had an incredible year and Haaland and Mbappe continue to show they are the future of the game. Then there’s Lionel Messi. For his heroics at the 2022 World Cup as he led Argentina to glory, he was always going to be in this team.

Perhaps Harry Kane, Robert Lewandowski and Vinicius Jr were the next three up when it comes to forward selections and all three were very unlucky to miss out. So too was Sadio Mane as he had an incredible season with Liverpool and then was on fire when he joined Bayern Munich before his untimely injury saw him miss the World Cup. A special mention for Heung-min Son too. He was superb for Spurs in the 2021-22 campaign and pivotal for South Korea at the World Cup even with an injury and a dip in form to contend with.

Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal: Watch Club World Cup Final, updates, score, videos

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Real Madrid face Al-Hilal in the Club World Cup final in Morocco on Saturday, as the reigning European champions are the heavy favorites to be crowned as the top team on the planet.

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Carlo Ancelotti’s side beat Al Ahly 4-1 in their semifinal to set up the final against Asian champions Al-Hilal in Rabat.

Real Madrid are already the most successful team in the history of this competition (four titles) and Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and Federico Valverde were all on the scoresheet in their semifinal romp.

As for Al-Hilal, the Saudi Arabian champs beat Brazilian giants Flamengo 3-2 in their semifinal as several stars from Saudi Arabia’s World Cup roster shone, with Salem Al-Dawsari scoring twice.

This is Al-Hilal’s first appearance in the Club World Cup final and they are the first team from Saudi Arabia to reach a final.

[ LIVE: Club World Cup Final analysis, updates, stats ]

Here’s everything you need for Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal in the FIFA Club World Cup final.


How to watch Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 2pm ET, Saturday
TV Channel: FS2 in the USA
Online: Stream via DirecTV.com
Live updates, stats, analysis: Via NBCSports.com, here


FIFA’s 2022 global transfer report reveals Premier League dominance, rise of MLS fees

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FIFA have released their global transfer report for 2022 and there are some intriguing findings, especially when it comes to the Premier League and the domestic game in the United States of America.

We all love talking about, and dissecting, transfers and now FIFA have taken a deep dive to reveal the themes and patterns from every transfer around the globe in 2022.

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England once again came out on top in terms of the most money spent on transfers by a single country, with almost $2.2 billion spent. For the first time in history a single country, led by clubs across the Premier League, spent over $2 billion on new players.

Six of the top 10 player transfers of 2022 were conducted by Premier League clubs with Darwin Nunez, Antony, Casemiro, Erling Haaland, Alexander Isak and Luis Diaz the most expensive signings in terms of the fixed transfer fee. Also, 11 of the top 16 clubs in Europe (in terms of their transfer spending in 2022) were from the Premier League.

Looking elsewhere around the globe, Brazil and France continue to be the two countries who produce incredible amounts of money from selling players with over $843 million spent on players from Brazil alone in 2022. In terms of spending by association, the USA ranked at No. 8, ahead of both Brazil and Portugal in terms of transfer fees spent in 2022.

MLS clubs also dominated transfer fees spent in the CONCACAF region, with seven of the top 10 clubs in terms of spending hailing from the USA as Charlotte FC, Chicago Fire, Orlando City and Atlanta United led the way. Clubs from the CONCACAF region also received almost $142 million from UEFA clubs for their players, which ranked second behind South America in terms of the transfer funds received for players moving to UEFA from a different confederation.

Below are some big takeaways from the fascinating report, which you can read in full here.


Biggest player transfers of 2022


Top nationalities by total transfers, transfer fees


Top associations by transfer spending, transfer fees received


Number of transfers and transfer fees by confederation


Top spending clubs from UEFA


Top spending clubs from CONCACAF


Streams of transfers within and between confederations

New FIFA rankings released after 2022 World Cup

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The latest FIFA rankings have been released following the 2022 World Cup and there are some big changes as teams surge up and down the list.

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World Cup winners Argentina aren’t top of the FIFA rankings yet, but they did jump up to second with only South American rivals Brazil ahead of them as they cling on to top spot despite a disappointing World Cup.

[ MORE: 2022 World Cup results, analysis, recaps ]

Having the team who won the World Cup not ranked as the No. 1 team on the planet in the latest FIFA rankings will have people everywhere scratching their heads.

And that is fair enough.


Why aren’t Argentina top?

Given the way FIFA calculates its rankings, Lionel Messi and Argentina were given points based on the strength of their recent opponents.

Brazil have a total points tally of 1840.77, just over two points more than Argentina’s 1838.38. That means that Argentina will overtake Brazil after their next game if they win and Brazil fail to win.

FIFA changed its method for calculating these rankings in 2018 and here are the full details of exactly how it’s done. Basically, if you face stronger opponents, you earn more points. And there is no longer a time period attached to these rankings. If you’re bad, you fall faster and if you’re good, you rise quicker.


Who are the big climbers?

Morocco are the big winners as the Atlas Lions surged up 11 spots to 11th in the world. The job Walid Regragui did was sensational and they were the darlings of the 2022 World Cup.

Japan also moved up four spots to 20th, while the USA and Switzerland each moved up three spots with the Americans ranked 13th in the world and Switzerland in 12th.

Australia moved up 11 spots to 27th as the Socceroos shocked us all by reaching the last 16 at the World Cup, where they gave eventual champs Argentina a really tough game. Cameroon moved up 10 places to 33rd, thanks largely to their famous victory against Brazil in the group stage.


Who slid down the rankings?

Belgium moved from second to fourth and they are likely to fall further after their shocking group stage exit at the World Cup. The Golden Generation is gone.

Spain, Germany, Mexico and Uruguay all fell too, while reigning European champs Italy (remember them!?) fell two spots, which was inevitable after Roberto Mancini’s side failed to reach the World Cup.

Denmark moving down eight spots to 18th reflects their awful World Cup, while Iran dropped four places, Wales slipped nine place, Serbia moved down eight to 30th, Canada dropped 12 spots to 53rd and Qatar fell 10 spots to 60th. John Herdman’s Canada saw the biggest fall of any World Cup team.


What to make of the USA’s ranking?

The ranking of 13th is the USMNT’s second-highest position since Gregg Berhalter took charge as they were ranked 10th in 2021. The USMNT have fallen as low as 36th place in these rankings but for much of the last 12 months they’ve been ranked inside the top 20.

With a Gold Cup coming up in 2023 and then the potential to play in the Copa America in 2024 (according to reports), the USA could climb into the top 10 as they have two huge international tournaments to play in and you gain more points for wins in major tournaments compared to friendly games.

Below is the FIFA rankings for the top 20, which shows the movement up and down for teams, plus a graphic which shows where each team at the 2022 World Cup landed.


FIFA rankings, Top 20 as of December 22, 2022

1. Brazil – Even
2. Argentina – Up 1
3. France – Up 1
4. Belgium – Down 2
5. England – Even
6. Netherlands – Up 2
7. Croatia – Up 1
8. Italy – Down 2
9. Portugal – Even
10. Spain – Down 3
11. Morocco – Up 11
12. Switzerland – Up 3
13. USA – Up 3
14. Germany – Down 3
15. Mexico – Down 2
16. Uruguay – Down 2
17. Colombia – Even
18. Denmark – Down 8
19. Senegal – Down 1
20. Japan – Up 4


World Cup 2022 schedule – Calendar, match results, brackets, recaps

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The World Cup 2022 schedule delivered an epic tournament from start to finish in Qatar and was highlighted by perhaps the best final in football history.

[ LIVE: Watch World Cup en Espanol en Peacock ]

Japan, Australia and Morocco made the last 16 with so many huge shocks during the tournament, but the Atlas Lions are the only one of the trio to survive into the semifinals. Germany, Denmark, and Belgium all crashed out in the group stage.

In the semifinals, Lionel Messi turned on the style as Argentina hammered Croatia and they will play France in the final.

[ MORE: World Cup rosters for all 32 teams ]

And then, yeah, Lionel Messi and Argentina beat France on penalty kicks in an incredible final after a 3-3 draw.

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Below is the schedule in full and every detail you need to know from the 2022 World Cup.

[ MORE: World Cup odds ]


World Cup 2022 schedule, start time, dates, how to watch live

  • When: November 20, 2022 to December 18, 2022
  • Kick-off times: 5am, 8am, 10am, 11am, 2pm (all ET)
  • Location: Qatar
  • TV channels en Español: Telemundo, Universo, Peacock
  • Streaming en Español: Peacock (all 64 matches)

Follow along with ProSoccerTalk for the latest news, scores, storylines, and updates surrounding the 2022 World Cup, and be sure to subscribe to NBC Sports on YouTube!


Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H | Full tables


Final

Match 64 – Sunday, December 18: Argentina 3-3 (4-2 pens) France – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail


Third-place play-off

Match 63 – Saturday, December 17: Croatia 2-1 Morocco – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan


Semifinal results

Match 61 – Tuesday, December 13: Argentina 3-0 Croatia – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail
Match 62 – Wednesday, December 14: France 2-0 Morocco – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor


Quarterfinal results

Match 58 – Friday, December 9: Croatia 1-1 Brazil (Croatia wins 4-2 on penalties) – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
Match 57 – Friday, December 9: Netherlands 2-2 Argentina (Argentina wins 4-3 on penalties) – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail
Match 60 – Saturday, December 10: Morocco 1-0 Portugal – Al Thumama Stadium, Doha
Match 59 – Saturday, December 10: England 1-2 France – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor


Round of 16 results

Match 49 – Saturday, December 3: Netherlands 3-1 USA – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan
Match 50 – Saturday, December 3: Argentina 2-1 Australia – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
Match 52 – Sunday, December 4: France 3-1 Poland – Al Thumama Stadium, Doha
Match 51 – Sunday, December 4: England 3-0 Senegal – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor
Match 53 – Monday, December 5: Japan 1-1 (AET, 1-3 PKs) – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
Match 54 – Monday, December 5: Brazil 4-1 South Korea – Stadium 974, Doha
Match 55 – Tuesday, December 6: Morocco 0-0 (AET, 3-0 PKs) Spain – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
Match 56 – Tuesday, December 6: Portugal 6-1 Switzerland – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail


Group stage results

Group A

Recap/highlights: Qatar 0-2 Ecuador – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Senegal 0-2 Netherlands  – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Qatar 1-3 Senegal – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Netherlands 1-1 Ecuador – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Netherlands 2-0 Qatar – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Ecuador 1-2 Senegal –  Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan

Group B

Recap/highlights: England 6-2 Iran – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: USA 1-1 Wales – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: England 0-0 USA – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Wales 0-2 Iran – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Wales 0-3 England – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Iran 0-1 USA – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor

Group C

Recap/highlights: Argentina 1-2 Saudi Arabia – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail
Recap/highlights: Mexico 0-0 Poland – Stadium 974, Doha
Recap/highlights: Poland 2-0 Saudi Arabia – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Argentina 2-0 Mexico – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail
Recap/highlights: Poland 0-2 Argentina – Stadium 974, Doha
Recap/highlights: Saudi Arabia 1-2 Mexico – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail

Group D

Recap/highlights: France 4-1 Australia – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
Recap/highlights: Denmark 0-0 Tunisia – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: France 2-1 Denmark – Stadium 974, Doha
Recap/highlights: Tunisia 0-1 Australia – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
Recap/highlights: Tunisia 1-0 France –  Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Australia 1-0 Denmark – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah

Group E

Recap/highlights: Spain 7-0 Costa Rica – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Germany 1-2 Japan – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Spain 1-1 Germany – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Japan 0-1 Costa Rica – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Japan 2-1 Spain – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Costa Rica 2-4 Germany – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor

Group F

Recap/highlights: Belgium 1-0 Canada – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Morocco 0-0 Croatia – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor – 5am
Recap/highlights: Belgium 0-2 Morocco – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Croatia 4-1 Canada – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Croatia 0-0 Belgium – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights Canada 1-2 Morocco – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor

Group G

Recap/highlights: Brazil 2-0 Serbia – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail
Recap/highlights: Switzerland 1-0 Cameroon – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
Recap/highlights: Brazil 1-0 Switzerland – Stadium 974, Doha – 11am
Recap/highlights: Cameroon 3-3 Serbia – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
Recap/highlights: Cameroon 1-0 Brazil – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail
Recap/highlights: Serbia 2-3 Switzerland – Stadium 974, Doha

Group H

Recap/highlights: Portugal 3-2 Ghana – Stadium 974, Doha
Recap/highlights: Uruguay 0-0 South Korea – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Portugal 2-0 Uruguay – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail
Recap/highlights: South Korea 2-3 Ghana – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: South Korea 2-1 Portugal – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Ghana 0-2 Uruguay – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah