World Cup 2022 | The numbers behind the Qatar 2022 squads

203

Andries Noppert, who stands at 203cm, is the tallest player at the tournament. The Netherlands No23 is followed by two fellow goalkeepers: Serbia’s Vanja Milinkovic-Savic (202) and Thibaut Courtois (200) of Belgium. Australia defender Harry Souttar (198) is the tallest outfield player. When they meet on 27 November, a staggering 36cm will exist between Courtois and Morocco’s Ilias Chair. The biggest gap between opposing players in a FIFA World Cup™ game this century was the 39cm separating Serbia and Montenegro giant Nikola Zigic and Côte d’Ivoire’s Bakary Kone at Germany 2006.

163

An unprecedented 163 of the 831 participating players are based in the English Premier League (19.6 per cent) – almost double any other championship, with LaLiga next on 86. The English top flight had a Russia 2018-high 124 of 736 players (16.9 per cent).

117

Cristiano Ronaldo has 117 international goals to his name – astonishingly more than the entire 26-man squads 15 other nations have collectively: Australia, Cameroon, Ecuador, Ghana, Japan, Korea Republic, Morocco, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Spain, Tunisia, USA and Wales.

40

Alfredo Talavera will be 40 years and 63 days when the tournament gets underway, making him the oldest player in Qatar. The Mexico goalkeeper could become just the eighth man to play in the World Cup in his 40s after Dino Zoff, Pat Jennings, Peter Shilton, Roger Milla, Ali Boumnijel, Faryd Mondragon and Essam El Hadary. Talavera is followed on the age order by five 39-year-olds: Canada midfielder Atiba Hutchinson, Portugal centre-back Pepe, Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima, Brazil right-back Dani Alves and Netherlands goalkeeper Remko Pasveer. Hutchinson, Pepe or Kawashima could become the second-oldest outfield player in World Cup history – a distinction that belongs to Angel Labruna due to his run-out against Czechoslovakia in 1958 – after Milla.

26

Qatar and Saudi Arabia are the only two nations with all 26 players based in their domestic league. England, the only to fulfil this criteria at Russia 2018, have been denied a repeat by the inclusion of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham.

18

Youssoufa Moukoko will be the youngest player at the tournament. The Germany forward will turn 18 the day Qatar 2022 gets underway and, should he play at any point, will surpass Christian Eriksen and become the second-youngest European to appear in the World Cup behind Norman Whiteside, who was 17 years and 41 days when he played against Yugoslavia at Spain 1982. Moukoko will be one of six 18-year-olds at Qatar 2022, with Garang Kuol, Gavi, Jewison Bennette, Bilal El Khannous and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku the others. Australia winger Daniel Arzani, at 19 years and five months, was the youngest player at Russia 2018.

17

Bayern Munich, with 17 players, are the best-represented club at Qatar 2022. The Bavarian behemoths are represented in the squads of Cameroon, Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, Morocco, the Netherlands and Senegal. Barcelona and Manchester City will have 16 players apiece at the tournament.

10

Ten Russia 2018 winners made France’s squad for the defence of their crown: Alphonse Areola, Ousmane Dembele, Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann, Lucas Hernandez, Hugo Lloris, Steve Mandanda, Kylian Mbappe, Benjamin Pavard, Raphael Varane. Vicente Del Bosque took 16 of Spain’s South Africa 2010 winners to the next World Cup, while nine of Germany’s Brazil 2014 conquerors were present at the next edition.

10

Thomas Muller is the Qatar-bound player with the most World Cup goals to his name (10). He is followed by Cristiano Ronaldo (10), Luis Suarez (7), Harry Kane (6), Lionel Messi (6) and Neymar (6).

5

Four men have been included in a World Cup squad for a record-equalling fifth time. They are Andres Guardado, Lionel Messi, Guillermo Ochoa and Cristiano Ronaldo. Antonio Carbajal, Lothar Matthaus and Rafa Marquez are the only other men to have made their nations’ World Cup squads on five occasions.