The first Middle-East and winter FIFA World Cup in Qatar is done and dusted, with players already back to their respective clubs and resume their usual duties in a football season, while some others are still in vacation mode or nursing injuries as resulted from the mid-season World Cup. That being said, let us reminisce the sensational goals that have been scored during the quadrennial competition, with Richarlison’s wonderful acrobatic finish against Serbia topping the votes for the best goal of the tournament in Qatar.
Richarlison (VS Serbia)
Many exceptional goals were executed perfectly in the contest, but none of them beat Richarlison’s second goal against Serbia in their Group G opener. Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior was the man who delivered a cross from the left flank to the Tottenham Hotspur’s talisman, before the latter controlled and brought the ball up to hit home a gorgeous bicycle kick. Brazil may have their disappointments in this year’s World Cup, but Richarlison’s deadly strike was some consolation.
Luis Chávez (VS Saudi Arabia)
A heartbreaker from the Green Falcons in the dying moments of the match saw the Mexicans bow out from the tournament with them as well, but this did not prevent Liga MX club Pachuca’s Luis Chávez to deliver a glorious freekick against them. El Tri’s Henry Martín was fouled in the central area of the Saudi Arabia half, and the long distance did not matter as Chávez’s left-footed strike found the back of the net around the top right area of the goal. The opposing goalkeeper stood no chance of saving the beautiful freekick.
Enzo Fernández (VS Mexico)
After losing out to Saudi Arabia in their Group C opening game, Argentina knew they had to bounce back in their next group matches, and they did it with some style, by beating both Mexico and Poland 2-0 respectively and eventually became the champion. On his way to winning the Young Player award of the tournament, Enzo Fernández scored a golazo against El Tri from the left wing of the pitch. The 21-year-old S.L. Benfica midfielder had multiple defenders marking him, but to no avail as the former’s beautiful right leg finish went past crowd favourite Guillermo Ochoa’s gloves for La Albiceleste’s second goal of the evening.
Neymar (VS Croatia)
The Kockasti was able to withstand the pressure Brazil gave in their quarterfinal fixture for a good 105 minutes, until the latter’s star man decided to take matters into his own hands. During the added time of the first extra-time period, Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar played two one-two touches with his Brazilian teammates and sent himself into the box, before shrugging off a block from his Croatian opponent and rounded its shot stopper to open the score line with a beauty.
France’s Karim Benzema had just announced his retirement from international football after his dramatic World Cup exit: https://www.wclivestream.net/ballon-dor-winner-karim-benzema-retires-from-international-football-for-france-on-his-birthday/
(Photo Credits: Reuters)
