Musiala and Kudus among best rated of those eliminated from Qatar 2022

International tournaments are ruthless, and the World Cup is certainly no exception. With only 16 of 32 teams progressing to the knockout stages, there are going to be some high-profile casualties from the group stages. Here, of those to have made at least two appearances, we take a look at the best rated players to exit the competition at the group stages, with stars from Germany, Ghana, Iran and Cameroon among those to feature 

Devis Epassy (Cameroon) - 7.39 

Following Andre Onana’s expulsion from the National Team due to disciplinary reasons, Cameroon needed a new hero to take his place. While the game against Serbia ended with Devis Epassy conceding three goals, the Cameroon goalkeeper kept a clean sheet against tournament favourites Brazil to give Cameroon a fighting change of qualifying for the last 16. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be, as Switzerland held on to progress, but Epassy could’ve been the hero with his MOTM performance against Brazil, with seven saves to deny the Brazilians a point. 

Ramin Rezaeian (Iran) - 7.23 

Having not featured in Iran’s demolition by England in the opening game, Ramin Rezaeian played both matches against Wales and Iran. Rezaeian’s late goal in the 2-0 win over Wales was a moment to savour for the Iranian national team, as it was the first ever time they had beaten a European nation, a heroic moment for a country currently in turmoil. Sadly for Iran, they bowed out of the World Cup after losing to the USA, but Rezaeian’s contributions to the squad with a WhoScored rating of 7.23 across the two games can’t be understated. 

Jean-Charles Castelletto (Cameroon) - 7.71 

Nantes defender Jean-Charles Castelletto may be heading back to France after Cameroon’s elimination from the World Cup, but his goal and assist against Serbia, helping them pick up what was a crucial point in their qualification hopes, and his 8.28 rating was only overshadowed by Vincent Aboubakar, who came off the bench to inspire the comeback. His WhoScored rating of 7.71 is the highest in this team. 

Andreas Christensen (Denmark) - 7.12 

Barcelona’s Andreas Christensen scored only his third goal for Denmark, and Denmark’s only goal in the tournament, against France to draw the Danes level before falling to a late Kylian Mbappe goal to lose 2-1. Christensen was a huge part of their success in Euro 2020, but a similar run wasn’t to be had in Qatar. The former Chelsea man played every minute of Denmark’s campaign, and his WhoScored rating of 7.12 highlights his contributions in his nation’s poor campaign. 

David Raum (Germany) - 7.19 

RB Leipzig full-back David Raum had a okay showing in his first World Cup, despite his nation’s disappointing exit from the Group Stage. He was able to pick up ratings above 7.00 in all three of his outings for Germany, with his highest coming against Japan in their 2-1 defeat. His WhoScored rating of 7.19 was the third highest in Germany’s ranks, behind Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry. 

Mohammed Kudus (Ghana) - 7.53 

Mohammed Kudus has had a fantastic campaign for Ajax , with nine goals across league and European action. Kudus continued this form for Ghana, inspiring their 3-2 win over South Korea with two goals in that game. That gave Ghana a fighting chance going into the final round of games, but were unfortunately knocked out after failing to secure a result against Uruguay. 

Edson Alvarez (Mexico) - 7.31 

Edson Alvarez picked up a WhoScored rating of 7.31 after his performances against Poland and Saudi Arabia. The talented Ajax midfielder will be going out of the tournament, but his solid outings will have surely caught the eye of many scouts and fans alike. 

Jamal Musiala (Germany) - 7.64 

The talented Bayern Munich starlet was unable to help Germany to progress, but his 7.64 rating was the highest of any Germany player, and his agile and mesmerising performances certainly made fans and players take note. The 19-year-old started all three of Germany’s games, completed more dribbles (19) than any other player in the group stages, and put in a star man performance against Costa Rica, despite failing to contribute to a goal, which highlights just how well he played. His assist for Germany’s equaliser against Spain was a highlight for the teenager, as that helped Germany in their chances of making the knockouts. 

Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Uruguay) - 7.37 

The Flamengo forward bagged a brace in Uruguay’s 2-0 win over Ghana, earning him the man of the match award with a 8.68 rating. It was a bittersweet moment for him, as Uruguay went out of the competition as South Korea stunned Portugal to win 2-1, meaning Uruguay went out by a goal. However, he can be proud of his personal contributions, scoring Uruguay's only goals in the tournament. 

Enner Valencia (Ecuador) - 7.30 

Enner Valencia caught everyone’s eyes in the opening game when he scored the first and second goals of the tournament to down hosts Qatar. No player has scored more goals than Valencia (3), but will be unable to add to his tally, as Ecuador bowed out from Group A, after losing to Senegal in their final group game. 

Medhi Taremi (Iran) - 7.31 

Porto’s Medhi Taremi opened his campaign with a brace against England, despite it coming in a 6-2 loss. He will be unable to add to his tally after Iran were eliminated from the competition, but his performances against both England and Wales, where he picked up an assist and a WhoScored man of the match award, earned him his 7.31 rating and a place in this team the best eliminated XI.