Player of the Tournament Power Rankings: Bruno, Mbappe and Messi among the early frontrunners

GOAL runs through the leading contenders for the most prestigious individual honour on offer in Qatar.

Diego Maradona, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane – some of the biggest names in football history have illuminated the game’s grandest stage. But who will be named the tournament’s best player this year?

Two former winners will be present in Qatar, of course, with Lionel Messi again leading Argentina and Luka Modric captaining Croatia.

But could the prize go to one of the young guns, such as Kylian Mbappe, Gavi or Jude Bellingham?

Below, GOAL runs through all of the leading contenders in the tournament’s player rankings…

10Theo Hernandez
Theo Hernandez may not be the greatest defender in the world but he’s absolutely outstanding going forward, as he’s already emphasised in Qatar. His debut may not have come in ideal circumstances, with the AC Milan attacker brought on against Australia after his brother Lucas had suffered a tournament-ending injury. But Hernandez has made the most of his opportunity, creating the crucial equaliser for Adrien Rabiot against the Socceroos, before then combining with Kylian Mbappe to break the deadlock in the 2-1 win over Denmark. With Hernandez now in the starting line-up, France’s left flank now looks like an absolute nightmare for opposition back-lines. Indeed, he’s already joint-top of the chances created charts, with nine.
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9Mohammed Kudus
Ajax fans have long been frustrated by Alfred Schreuder’s sparing use of Mohammed Kudus, and it’s easy to see why. The 22-year-old has already made a massive impact on this turn. He showed off his pace and dribbling skills against Portugal but there was no end product. All that changed against South Korea, with Kudus scoring twice to earn the Black Stars a vital victory and establish himself as one of the competition’s breakout stars.
8Richarlison
So, that’s why he’s Brazil’s No.9! Richarlison is not everyone’s cup of tea. He’s a divisive character and his record at club level is unimpressive. However, he’s a different beast for Brazil. Richarlison’s showcased his predatory instincts in pouncing on a rebound to break the deadlock in the Selecao’s win over Serbia, before then sealing victory with a spectacular scissors-kick. He drew a blank against Serbia but the fact remains that nobody’s scored more goals for Brazil since Richarlison made his international debut in September 2018 (19), and he should add to his tally as this tournament goes on.
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7Enner Valencia
The Ecuador captain enjoyed a record-breaking night against Qatar. In coolly converting a penalty that he won himself, the 33-year-old became the oldest player to score the opener at a finals. His opening-night double also made him the first man to score five tournament goals in a row for a South American side. In extending that record to six with the crucial equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Netherlands, Valencia emerged as an unlikely contender for the top scorer award. However, Ecuador’s elimination signals the end of his challenge, and he’ll soon lose his spot in our top 10 too.
6Antoine Griezmann
Still without a goal but Antoine Griezmann, with his wonderful work-rate and terrific technique, is one of the main reasons why France are through to the last 16. Mbappe may be Les Bleus’ star but Griezmann is the man that makes their forward line function. Everything goes through him, he is the creator-in-chief, as underlined by the fact that no player has created more chances at this tournament to date than Griezmann (11).
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5Marcus Rashford
Fair to say Marcus Rashford is back to his very best. The Manchester United attacker began this tournament on the bench but scored as a substitute in the 6-2 win over Iran on matchday one and then made the most of his first start, bagging a double in the 3-0 rout of Wales that sealed England’s place in the last 16. And with that, Rashford has gone from a reserve to a certain starter, not to mention a top-scorer contender.
4Lionel Messi
The man is human, as his penalty miss against Poland underlined, but Messi’s influence on Argentina on 34 years of age is super-natural. As well as effectively turning their campaign around with his stunning opener against Mexico, he’s now also joint-second in the overall standings for both chances created (nine) and dribbles completed (eight) after a typically influential display against Poland. In that 2-0 win, he also became the oldest man to complete make at least five dribbles and fashion five-plus openings in the same game. The previous record holder? Diego Maradona, naturally. Messi may not have been able to beat Wojciech Szczesny on the night he now looks primed to make a serious run at a second successive player of the tournament award.
3Cody Gakpo
How much is Cody Gakpo worth now?! The PSV winger was a man in demand even before the tournament began, with talk of a move to England intensifying after a fine start to the season. He certainly seems destined to play for one of Europe’s elite after underlining his class with three goals in three games in Qatar.
2Bruno Fernandes
Cristiano Ronaldo may be hogging all the headlines but it’s already become clear that Bruno is Portugal’s most important player. He’s been decisive in both of their games so far. Against Ghana, with the game tied at one goal apiece, it was the Manchester United man who proved the Seleccao’s difference-maker, creating goals for Joao Felix and Rafael Leao. He then bagged both goals in the 2-0 win over Uruguay that sealed the Seleccao’s place in the last 16. Bruno brings a combination of industry and innovation to the party that few other players in this tournament can match.
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1Kylian Mbappe
A man who considered quitting international football a year ago now looks set to write more history with France. Indeed, against Australia, he became the youngest Frenchman to reach five tournament goals. He’s now up to seven, after a devastating double in the 2-1 win over Denmark that saw Les Bleus become the first side to reach the last 16. He may not have managed a goal during his cameo in the 1-0 loss to Tunisia, as Didier Deschamps looked to protect his most valuable player, but he still provoked panic in the opposition defence when he came on. Indeed, right now, Mbappe looks a cut above every other single player at this tournament.