Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Tom Blow

World Cup 2022: L'Equipe best XI includes Arsenal, Real Madrid and PSG stars

Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is the only Premier League player to make L'Equipe's World Cup XI - published after Sunday's astonishing final.

Argentina won their first world title for 36 years in Qatar by beating France on penalties. Kylian Mbappe scored a superb hat-trick at Lusail Stadium, but that wasn't enough to win the trophy due to Angel Di Maria's strike and a brace from Lionel Messi.

French newspaper L'Equipe is infamous for its ratings and has not disappointed with its World Cup XI. PSG star Mbappe scored eight goals and provided two assists in the tournament, yet he is the highest-rated player with a modest 7.17.

What's perhaps more surprising is Messi's 6.71 rating for inspiring his country to a third World Cup by scoring seven goals and providing three assists, with most other newspapers giving him a 10. Getting one of those from L'Equipe is a near-impossible feat.

Mbappe and Messi are joined in attack by Saka (6.5), as L'Equipe has gone for a traditional 4-3-3 formation. The team includes three Argentinians, three Croatians and three Moroccans. Remarkably, Mbappe is the only member of France's final-reaching squad to make the XI.

Croatia's Dominik Livakovic (6.57) is L'Equipe's goalkeeper after several superb displays in Qatar. The Dinamo Zagreb shot-stopper saved three penalties in the shootout win against Japan in the last 16 and denied Brazil's Rodrgyo from the spot in the quarter-finals.

L'Equipe's World Cup XI was unveiled in Monday's edition of the newspaper (L'Equipe)

What do you make of L'Equipe's ratings? Let us know in the comments below!

Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol (6.43) joins his compatriot in the team, as he is given the nod alongside Romain Saiss (6.6) at the heart of the defence. Saiss played a key role to help Morocco become the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final.

Fellow Moroccan Achraf Hakimi (6.0) has been given the nod at right-back following his cheeky Panenka penalty against Spain in the last 16, while experienced Argentinian defender Marcos Acuna (6.25) - who didn't start Sunday's final - is at left-back.

In terms of the midfield, Argentina's Enzo Fernandez (6.4) has been included after winning FIFA's Young Player of the Tournament award. He is joined by Morocco's Sofyan Amrabat (6.29), who is believed to be on Liverpool's transfer shortlist alongside Fernandez.

The final spot in the team goes to the evergreen Luka Modric (6.29), who captained Croatia to a third-placed finish in Qatar. This World Cup is likely to be the midfielder's last, as he will 40 when the next tournament is held in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

L'Equipe has handed out just 14 perfect ratings before. The recipients are Messi (twice), Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Lucas Moura, Franck Sauzee, Bruno Martini, Oleg Salenko, Alban Lafont, Lars Windfeld, Robert Lewandoswki, Carlos Eduardo, Neymar and Serge Gnabry.

Messi first achieved the feat in 2010 after Barcelona's 4-1 win against Arsenal in the Champions League, in which scored all of his team's goals. He was given another 10 out of 10 rating two years later for finding the net five times against Bayer Leverkusen.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.