Gvardiol's World Cup showings cementing reputation as one of Europe's top defenders

Buying a player on the back of their performance at an international tournament is so often a risk. The standout example is Karel Poborsky, who was excellent for the Czech Republic at Euro 96, playing a key role in their progression to the final, and sealing a summer move to Manchester United as a result of his showings in England. 

Poborsky lasted just 18 months at Old Trafford before departing for Portuguese side Benfica, though his progression to the first team was blocked by a certain David Beckham, so the former was never really handed a chance to consolidate a starting spot. Nevertheless, a player can shine for a handful of games, and their stock can soar as a result. The same can't be said of Josko Gvardiol, the Croat's performances having rightly caught the eye. 

This ageing Croatia squad hasn't exactly lit up the World Cup. They've scored four goals across three games, yet all four came in a 4-1 win over Canada. 0-0 draws with Morocco and Belgium either side of that resounding victory saw them book their last-16 spot, with the Red Devils knocked out as a result, yet in turn; the did do enough to secure a place in the knockout stage. 

With just the one goal conceded, that a second-minute Alphonso Davies header that seemed to kick Croatia into gear, Croatia's best defence has been... well... a good defence, and Gvardiol has been central to that resolve. Once again, links with a move to Chelsea have come to the fore amidst reports of a January move to Stamford Bridge. "Maybe one day I will be there," Gvardiol said on Thursday to heighten expectations that a switch to the Blues is on the cards. 

And with Chelsea in the market for defenders, they will have been suitably impressed by what they have seen of the 20-year-old in Qatar. Of course, it's nigh-on impossible to pass judgement on a player who has played just three World Cup games, but even before the tournament kicked off, Gvardiol was earmarked as one of the most promising centre-backs on the continent. Qatar 2022 has merely accentuated that status. 

Gvardiol ended the group stages with a WhoScored rating of 7.08; only potential club teammate Mateo Kovacic (7.12) scored higher of all Croatia players. What's been noticable for Gvardiol during the World Cup is how he has had to carry out the defensive duties more frequently than he would have done at club level. 

Croatia have returned a possession average of 53.8% in Qatar, a marginal drop by comparison to RB Leipzig (58.2%) in the Bundesliga this season, so the former have been under more pressure than the latter. And yet Gvardiol has carried out the responsibilities of protecting the Croatia goal to a high standard. A return of 5.7 clearances per 90 is more than any other Vatreni player at Qatar 2022, and a hefty rise on his return at club level (2.4). 

It's a similar case for tackles per 90 - 1.3, up from 0.6 - and interceptions per 90 - 1.7, up from 0.9. What is noticeable, however, is that the number of times he has been dribbled past per 90 has dropped from 0.5 with RB Leipzig to 0.3, though that may be down to Croatia sitting a little deeper than the German side. What hasn't changed, though, has been his ability to get the ball forward from the defence. 

Gvardiol's reputation has risen so high in part due to the ease with which he picks out a teammate. One of his strongest assets is his range of passing, a much-needed trait for the modern day centre-back, and this quality to his game has matched the level shown for RB Leipzig. Indeed, his pass success rate at the World Cup is a notable 89.9%, that a marginal rise on his Bundesliga return of 89.1%. Of course, he is attempting fewer passes per 90 at the World Cup (76) than he is in Germany's top tier this term (84.1%), but even in a slightly more defensive setup like Croatia's, Gvardiol's distribution hasn't taken a hit, and he has remained as composed as ever to ensure that, at the time of writing, only Brazil (0) have conceded fewer goals than Croatia (1) at the World Cup. 

So not only has Gvardiol dominated at club level, but he has done so on the grandest stage of all. This isn't the defender that has taken the chance to shine in a short space of time, but rather maintained the impressive performances that has won him a legion of admirers in the last 18 months, and this has helped Croatia to the last-16 of the World Cup. Should Croatia go as far in Qatar as they did in Russia, then the solid backline, with Gvardiol crucial, will provide the ideal foundation, and in the process; cement his spot as one of the best in his position despite his tender years.