It is the end of another year and football fans have been treated with some fine finishing towards the last months of 2022, via twisting plots and thrilling matches in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. During this time every year, popular sports gaming provider EA Sports released Team of the Year for the previous year, which featured eleven players who produced sensational yet consistent performances throughout the 12 months. As 2022 has closed, it is time for us to take a look at the best XI for 2022 according to EA Sports.
Forwards: Kylian Mbappé, Karim Benzema, Lionel Messi
It was not a surprise to see these three men being voted by countless fans and players as the best front three everyone has seen in 2022. This golden strike force, which featured the 2022 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball and Golden Boot winners as well as the current holder of the Ballon d’Or will easily strike fear into any defence in the world. Fans had taken to the internet to call this deadly attacking lineup a no-brainer as any neutral fans would easily pick these three talismans in their team.
For the 24-year-old Mbappé, we for sure will see him frequently in EA Sports’ Team of the Year nominations in coming years, but Messi and Benzema are certainly not giving in to Father Time just yet.
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Luka Modrić, Kevin De Bruyne
Modrić and De Bruyne ranked among the top midfielders in the world, and have all the rights to be in this three-man midfield. A highlight in this category would certainly be Jude Bellingham. The 19-year-old player from Borussia Dortmund was England’s undoubted best player in last year’s World Cup despite his country disappointingly bowing out from the quarterfinal. His quickness and calmness in the midfield made him one of the most sought-after players, especially after the quadrennial tournament and already had his price tag folded multiple times prior to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Defenders: Achraf Hakimi, Éder Militão, Virgil van Dijk, Theo Hernández
The defensive line-up in EA Sports’ Team of the Year had three past and present Real Madrid stars. Hakimi led his country to a first semi final appearance from any teams from the African continent, while Militão won four major crowns for his club last year (La Liga, Supercopa de España, UEFA Champions League as well UEFA Super Cup) and Hernández was influential in AC Milan’s Serie A triumph and France’s run to the 2022 FIFA World Cup final. The only player in this category who never played for Los Blancos was Liverpool’s backup captain Virgil van Dijk, who is of course an important core to Liverpool’s backline, despite the team’s recent poor form.
Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois
You probably think that the 30-year-old shot stopper from Bree, Belgium and Real Madrid did not deserve to be the first option for goalkeeping duties here. But nine saves in the UEFA Champions League final alone was already impressive enough to gain millions of votes for his selection. Emiliano Martínez definitely was one of the best to guard the goal last year, most notably after saving Randal Kolo Muani’s potential winner in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Nonetheless, Courtois’ performance was solid in the entire 2022, and has the same four club crowns as his teammates Militão and Modrić achieved last year to back his bid.
Who do you think should not be selected in this Best XI by EA Sports? What would be your version of Team of the Year then? Tell us in the comment section below.
France’s 2018 FIFA World Cup-winning and Tottenham Hotspur captain Hugo Lloris decided to retire from international football after the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Full details here: https://www.wclivestream.net/frances-2018-fifa-world-cup-winning-captain-hugo-lloris-retired-from-international-football/