Tuchel's subs, Rodri's rank, Messi's masterclass - World Cup highs & lows

As the World Cup draws to a close, with Spain crowned champions for the second time in their history,

Sky Sports

writers reflect on a tournament that captured the world's attention - but also suffered its fair share of controversy.

Arise Sir Rodri, Spain's ultimate superpower

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Player of the tournament - Rodri

Spain are not crowned champions without Rodri's poise and control in midfield. If you don't believe me, watch the France semi-final back. A master at work. Across the tournament, he played over 100 more open-play passes than any other player. He only really had his Spanish team-mates for competition. Just all-round genius.

Goal of the tournament - Julian Alvarez vs Switzerland

Julian Alvarez's stunner for Argentina against Switzerland was a wonderful goal in its own right. The distance, the curl, the nestle top right. But to deliver such class in extra-time of a knockout game under such pressure and intensity makes it truly outstanding.

Moment of the tournament - Messi hat-trick vs Algeria

Few UK viewers would have watched this masterclass live because the game kicked off at ridiculous o'clock. But I did. And it was special, proving beyond doubt that he is the greatest. The beautiful game lit up by its most peerless pioneer. Absolutely worth the early alarm.

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Game of the tournament - Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde

Obviously Mexico-England was absolute cinema. But for a point of difference, I've gone with Cape Verde running Argentina ragged. The lowest-ranked nation ever to qualify for the knockout stage pushing the reigning champions to the brink was gold.

Breakout star - Pau Cubarsi

Lots of hype about Ayyoub Bouaddi, but I didn't see enough of him to win this category. I loved the contribution of Pau Cubarsi for Spain. At 19, he's already among the world's best in his position. So commanding and positionally intelligent for one so young, and of course he has the Spanish charm offensive in possession, too.

Biggest disappointment - Balogun red card overturned

This had to be addressed somewhere. A complete sham, making a mockery of the game and those who run it. Folarin Balogun's involvement in the USA's last-16 loss to Belgium won't be remembered for the football, but for political interference. They only succeeded in making themselves public enemy number one. What a way to tarnish an otherwise fantastic tournament.

Laura Hunter

Kane still an elite goalscorer - but Tuchel disappointed

Player of the tournament - Lionel Messi

We have been truly blessed as fans of this great game to witness one final hurrah from the greatest to ever do it.

Goal of the tournament - Harry Kane vs DR Congo

This was Kane in a nutshell and identifies what makes him the elite goalscorer he is. All he needed was half a yard and bang. It has to rank higher due it being a winning goal, too.

Moment of the tournament - Ecuador's win over Germany

For sheer explosion of colour and vibrancy from the Yellow Wall, it had to be Ecuador's winning goal over the heavyweights of Germany to seal a place in the knockouts.

Game of the tournament - Mexico 2-3 England

Having been live blogging football matches for Sky Sports for over 10 years now, I thought I had seen it all. But England winning a knockout match at the Azteca to the backdrop of such carnage and adversity is up there with the best matches I've ever worked on.

Breakout star - Ayyoub Bouaddi

He became only the second 18-year-old to play for Morocco at a World Cup and produced some immaculate displays in central midfield showing a maturity beyond his years.

Biggest disappointment - High-profile managers

Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti, Marcelo Bielsa and Mauricio Pochettino all suffered shambolic exits from the competition with a failure to bring their day-to-day body of work to this type of format.

Lewis Jones

Joyous Cape Verde a reminder of what makes World Cup special

Image:

Haiti's Wilson Isidor celebrates scoring during the first half of the Group C match against Morocco (AP Photo/Stew Milne)

Showed exactly why he is the greatest to ever do it. He was instrumental in pushing Argentina all the way to another final, and they always have a chance when he is on the pitch.

Goal of the tournament - Wilson Isidor vs Morocco

The one that immediately came to mind. A brilliant hit from range that curled beautifully into the top corner. Highly recommend a watch if you've not seen it.

Moment of the tournament - Cape Verde reach the round of 32

A goalless draw with Saudi Arabia secured Cape Verde's spot in the round of 32, setting up a blockbuster tie with Argentina - which they were not far off winning. The celebrations were joyous and offered a timely reminder of why the World Cup is so special.

A game that had everything - intense build-up, history, weather delays, goals and drama. England's best overall performance and a game that will go down as one of the best ever at a World Cup.

Breakout star - Elliot Anderson

While he was well-known to Premier League fans, Anderson has cemented himself as a solid international midfielder. He was not perfect in every game, but showed his quality.

Biggest disappointment - Uruguay

A disaster from start to finish. From Marcelo Bielsa's refusal to look at the camera during pre-tournament media, to crashing out at the group stage with just two points from three games after draws against Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia. It wasn't even enough to go through as one of the best third-place teams.

Charlotte Marsh

Breakout Bouaddi shines in shop window

Just the GOAT doing GOAT things. If this is the end for Messi on the international stage, what a final chapter.

The finish is one thing. The fact it came in the second half of extra-time where Alvarez's energy would've been spent is another. One word: unbelievable.

Moment of the tournament - Messi's hat-trick vs Algeria

This has been a World Cup where all the big stars have shown up and showed out. Nothing epitomises that quite like Lionel Messi bagging a hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina's opener. It set the tone for the tournament and began an incredible battle between him and Kylian Mbappe for the golden boot.

All the odds were stacked against England. In a different era, the players would've collapsed under the pressure. Not in this era.

This was a tournament where those at the twilight of their careers took centre stage. However, one man who ensured that people saw him as one for the future was Ayyoub Bouaddi. The teenager held down the midfield for a very competitive Morocco and put himself in the shop window with European giants circling.

Biggest disappointment - Brazil

The hype around Neymar's return. Don Carlo Ancelotti at the helm. Yet Brazil looked like the furthest thing from Brazil throughout the tournament. Aside from a comfortable win over Scotland, they never looked like they had the balance in the squad right and they were made to pay.

Callum Bishop

Messi the GOAT leaves World Cup legacy unlike any other

No question, it has to be the GOAT. No player has played (34) or won (23) more World Cup games than him. No one has scored in as many matches as him (16 and only Kylian Mbappe (22) has scored more goals than him (21). His contributions against England were crucial. If this is to be his last World Cup, what a legacy he leaves.

Goal of the tournament - Sidny Lopes Cabral vs Argentina

If World Cup debutants Cape Verde taking the reigning world champions to extra-time was not enough, Cabral produced a moment of magic that almost forced penalties. He cut in off the left, effortlessly dragged the ball past Alexis Mac Allister, tip-toed into the box and bent a beauty into the top-right corner.

Moment of the tournament - Cape Verde reach knockouts

Bubista's side were written off before the first ball had been kicked, but naysayers were soon forced to swallow their words. The Blue Sharks not only qualified for the knockout stages, but did so after holding both Spain and Uruguay. With spirit and heart in abundance, they shocked the world - and they will be back.

There are a handful of contenders in this category, but England's win in the Azteca simply has to take it. All the talk beforehand was about whether the Three Lions could handle the altitude; they did that and then some.

Breakout star - Johan Manzambi

Last season's Europa League Young Player of the Year announced himself to the world with Switzerland's opener against Bosnia-Herzegovina just 166 seconds after his introduction. He added a second later on, a goal and an assist against Canada, then another assist against Algeria in the last 32. Injury prevented him playing again, but he left a lasting impression and will shine

at Aston Villa

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Biggest disappointment - Cristiano Ronaldo

He would have wanted to go out with a bang, but the reality was far from that. Roberto Martinez persisted with his captain despite pressure to drop him given how ineffective he was on the whole. He did score three goals - two against Uzbekistan, one against Croatia - Messi's success will have irked him.

Dan Long

Tuchel cost England a World Cup final

Still delivering at 39 years old. What else is there to say? The best ever.

Not only the goal of the tournament but the celebration too. Cape Verde's dream run hit new heights when Sidny Lopes Cabral curled a stunning equaliser into the top right corner during extra-time before ending up in the crowd celebrating with his loved ones.

Moment of the tournament - Dan Burn blocking Raul Jimenez's overhead kick

Big Dan Burn put his head in where it hurts to deliver a moment that will go down in English football history, not only blocking Raul Jimenez's audacious overhead kick, but sending the ball all the way into the Mexico half without bouncing.

An absolute all-timer that lived up to its billing. The Azteca. The 2am kick-off. Jude Bellingham's 98-second double. Jarell Quansah's red card. Harry Kane's penalty. England's defensive grit. It had everything.

Not starting the 20-year-old in the 1-1 draw against Qatar was the only misstep for Switzerland at their best-ever World Cup. Manzambi then scored twice against Bosnia-Herzegovina and added another plus two assists in two more matches. A real shame that injury cut short his tournament.

Biggest disappointment - Tuchel's substitutions vs Argentina

"They were more afraid to drop out of the tournament, in my observation, than having the excitement and hunger to win it," Thomas Tuchel said of England's Euro 2024 campaign. How ironic. Ezri Konsa coming for goalscorer Anthony Gordon in the 72nd minute showed just how little had changed under Tuchel.

David Richardson

USA scored biggest own goal in tournament history after

Balogun sham decision

Nothing more needs said. The greatest to ever do it.

There's a few contenders for best strike but you're not giving this one to a Giovanni Reyna fourth against Paraguay. Cabral's finish was magnificent and so was the story around it. Cape Verde are everything the World Cup is about. So was the celebration.

Moment of the tournament - Vozinha's interview

Not to make this a Cape Verde fan entry but a 40-year-old goalkeeper, who plays for a second-tier club in Portugal, crying in front of hundreds of millions of people and wishing his mum could've been there to watch him. In a world of miserable news, we need more of these moments.

It had everything. The Azteca. Lightning delays. VAR controversy. A red card. Five goals. A historic win. And one heck of a defensive unit for those last 20 minutes.

The 19-year-old looks like he's been sweeping up at the back for Spain for years. Worth remembering the semi-final win over France was only his 19th cap, and he had won only 12 before this tournament. His stats have ranked among the tournament's best despite his tender years both with and without the ball. A star of the present.

Biggest disappointment - USA

The USA began the tournament without a huge amount of goodwill from elsewhere for a variety of reasons but slowly began to melt hearts around the globe with a likeable team coached by a likeable manager, playing good - and successful - football.

After doubling their knockout wins it looked as though this could be their breakout tournament until Donald Trump's intervention on Folarin Balogun's red card, FIFA's capitulation and then their own collapse under the scrutiny to exit with a whimper against Belgium and any overseas goodwill evaporated, rightly or wrongly.

Ron Walker

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