A total of 32 teams competing in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar announced their squads earlier this week. Manchester United have sixteen players taking part for their nations in the 22nd edition of the competition.
Let’s take a look at how three of those players would fare in the World Cup which is being held in a middle eastern country for the first time in its history.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
The greatest of all time has achieved everything but the World Cup and he will be leading his team again on the road to glory as Portugal battles Uruguay, South Korea and Ghana in group H of the competition.
Cristiano Ronaldo has had a frustrating season so far where he has only appeared in 16 matches where he has managed to score three goals and create two assists for Manchester United across all fronts.
Even though he hasn’t had enough game time in this campaign, the 37-year-old remains in great shape and will rely on his teammates to provide him with enough opportunities in front of the goal to convert them and lead his nation to World Cup glory before retiring from national duties.
Lisandro Martinez (Argentina)
The Argentine defender has experienced a brilliant campaign at Old Trafford so far after producing a run of dominant displays for Man Utd in the defensive half of the field. The 24-year-old has made 20 appearances for the Red Devils this season and is averaging 1.9 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 4.3 clearances per game in Premier League football (stats via whoscored).
Martinez has often been a rock at the back for Argentina recently and is expected to step up and do well for them as the World Cup gets underway in Qatar this Sunday. He will have to form a solid defensive partnership with Nicolas Otamendi and Cristian Romero at the centre of Lionel Scaloni’s backline.
Raphael Varane (France)
The 29-year-old has had a decent start to this campaign. He has had less game time due to the injuries he has sustained this season. The recent one was against Chelsea earlier this month which kept him sidelined for a couple of matches. This injury also could have ended his hopes of playing at the World Cup this year but it wasn’t a serious one.
Varane is back on track and will be representing his nation. The French international has been involved in 11 matches for the Red Devils this season and he has been a solid presence in the defensive half when he was on the pitch.
The French sensation has been a dominant force on the defensive end of the field as he is averaging 1.2 tackles, 0.4 interceptions and 3.8 clearances per game in the Premier League. Hence, we can expect him to play a crucial role for France when the World Cup starts in Qatar this weekend. He will have to play at the heart of the backline as he tries to stop the opposition attackers.
