🤪 🏅 The definitive 2022 World Cup Alternative Awards | OneFootball

Golden Ball this, Golden Boot that, Golden Glove there. Who cares?

These are the things the 2022 World Cup will really be remembered for …

The Michael Jordan Last Dance Award

Who else but Lionel Messi at his final World Cup? Seven goals, three assists, and the trophy a nation has craved for 36 years.

The Award for Best Consolation Prize

Kylian Mbappé missed out on a second successive winners’ medal.

But he won the Golden Boot, became just the second man to ever score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, and will break a whole host of records across the next two or three tournaments.

The Southgate/Waddle Award for Most Famous Penalty Miss

Harry Kane will never forget his second attempt from the spot against France as he added his own name to the folklore of English players missing penalties at the very worst possible moment.

The Romcom Award for Best Kiss

Jawad El Yamiq kissing Pepé’s bonce after the Portuguese missed a penalty will go down as one of the most iconic images of the tournament.

The Most Loved Team Award

Every tournament has a team everybody falls in love with. This World Cup it was Morocco, with their sensational support, their defensive organisation, and their celebrations with their mums.

The Alan Partridge Award for Putting Your Foot In Your Mouth

Alan Partridge, David Brent, Michael Scott, Gianni Infantino. All cut from the same cloth, it seems.

“Today, I feel gay. Today, I feel disabled,” he is neither and he does not know how people who are feel.

The Reality TV Award for Most Emotional Exit

It looked like something from Love Island as a 4K camera followed Cristiano Ronaldo down the tunnel after Portugal’s shock exit against Morocco.

Talk about a bombshell.

The Cristiano Ronaldo Award for Waiting To Go Fifth

Speaking of Cristiano Ronaldo, does regret waiting to go fifth and not getting to step up in a Euro 2012 penalty shootout defeat to Spain?

Apparently Neymar thought it was a good idea and did exactly the same thing.

The Henry VIII Award for Most Misses

Poor Romelu Lukaku. He had barely kicked a ball for months but Belgium desperately needed a hero.

Three huge chances fell his way against Croatia and, rusty as a player can be, he fluffed his lines.

The Rob Green Goalkeeping Mishap Award

Mistakes happen at both ends of the pitch.

Qatar goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb was heavily criticised after his opening day display against Ecuador and he didn’t feature again.

The ‘You’re on Mute!’ (Best Protest) Award

Germany’s mouth-covering protest against Japan sent an important message after a number of European nations were intimidated into not wearing OneLove armband.

Some members of the Belgium and Wales camps suggested Germany were distracted by the entire thing … before they proceeded to also suffer group stage exits. At least Germany went home early having stood for something.

The Alex Scott Best Statement Award

At least somebody wore the armband at the tournament. Alex Scott never disappoints.

The Death By A Thousand Passes Award

Rodri completed the record most completed passes in a World Cup game (204 v Japan), then broke that record again (206 v Morocco) days later and ended the tournament with a new World Cup record of completed passes at a single tournament with 684 in total.

The Roger Milla Award for Most Instantly Iconic African Striker

This was Vincent Aboubakar’s World Cup, really.

His delicate scoop against Serbia was sensational, then he celebrated scoring a late winner against Brazil — the first winner against Brazil ever scored by an African at a World Cup — by taking off his shirt and picking up a second yellow card, with even the referee charmed as he showed him red.

One man, two iconic moments.