After an enthralling World Cup campaign, it’s time for us to look back and review the performance of the Tottenham players that made an appearance in Qatar.
From group stage exits to lifting the trophy, there have been some incredible displays from Spurs’ international talent.
Next week sees the North London side return to action in the Premier League, as they travel to Brentford on Boxing Day.
Before that, let’s rank the twelve Lilywhites who went to the World Cup before they return to life under Antonio Conte.
12. Joe Rodon
Wales were very disappointing in this tournament, with Joe Rodon being no exception after below par performances.
Rodon is a very talented defender and has previously received heaps of praise from the likes of Jose Mourinho, however, this is not a tournament to remember for him.
He is now facing uncertainty over his future at the club, especially with him currently being on loan at Stade Rennais with an option to buy.
11. Eric Dier
Not that Eric Dier did anything wrong in the tournament, he simply played the least out of anybody who went to Qatar.
Dier plays in a position where making an impact off the bench for the final 20-30 minutes of a game is very challenging to do, when compared to playing as an attacker.
10. Ben Davies
As previously stated, it was a fairly upsetting first World Cup in 64 years for Wales.
Ben Davies performed slightly more admirably than Joe Rodon, coming close with a headed effort against the USA, on the other hand, still made defensive errors.
Davies also picked up an oblique injury, however, his early departure from Qatar means he is now approaching full recovery and could be in the squad on boxing day.
9. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg
Denmark were another nation to have a frustrating tournament, with only one point in the group stage not being enough to send them through.
Despite this, Højbjerg wasn’t overly disappointing with his typical hard-working and industrious performances.
His team lacked end product and Tottenham’s Dane failed to make an impact in the attacking-third.
A couple of weeks rest for the midfield general is the best outcome Spurs fans could’ve hoped for.
8. Pape Matar Sarr
We have seen very little of Pape Matar Sarr in a Spurs shirt and it looked like we would see very little of him in a Senegal shirt, at least for a short while.
This was until he made appearances off the bench, where he began to show signs of what Fabio Paratici saw in the Young African Player of the Year.
Sarr is a promising talent who will require game time to truly hone his skills, which is why it wouldn’t surprise me to see him go on loan.
7. Rodrigo Bentancur
Uruguay made a surprise early exit from the competition but Rodrigo Bentancur was simultaneously one of the best midfielders in the group stage of the World Cup.
The immaculate composure Spurs fans have come to adore was on display for the world to see, with transfer rumours to other clubs spawning out of nowhere.
Unfortunately, the Uruguayan’s World Cup adventure came to an end prematurely through an adductor injury.
It is safe to say Bentancur has been one of Tottenham’s best players this season and supporters will be looking forward to seeing him in lilywhite again soon.
6. Son Heung-Min
South Korea reached the knockout stages against all odds, thanks to a late Hwang Hee-Chan winner.
The winner was not solely the work of Hwang, Son also played a pivotal role with a counter-attacking run we have seen him make many times at Spurs.
Son has struggled for form this season but with a couple of weeks to recover, Conte will hope to see the best version of the South Korean upon his return.
5. Richarlison
Richarlison was a revelation for Brazil in this World Cup with two outstanding goals; an overhead kick and a beautiful team move.
The Brazilian’s stocks have skyrocketed following this tournament and will hope to recover from his hamstring injury as quickly as possible.
Once he returns from injury, Antonio Conte will have a dilemma on his hands as a player of Richarlison’s calibre cannot be sat on the bench week in week out.
4. Harry Kane
Many will remember Harry Kane’s tournament for that penalty miss against France, despite scoring the previous penalty.
We should all remember this as one of Harry Kane’s best tournaments in an England shirt, where he played a key part in nearly all goals scored when he was on the pitch.
Players have expressed the importance of Kane to the way England play, the same of which can be said for his influence at Tottenham.
Fans will be hoping his mentality will not be affected too much and that a goal against Brentford on Boxing Day can help the England captain get over any irrational worries.
3. Ivan Perisic
An astonishing tournament for Ivan Perisic who helped Croatia achieve third in the tournament, with his majestic header playing a key part in that.
Perisic has 11 World Cup goal contributions across the last three tournaments, which is the second most only to Lionel Messi who has 16.
The versatile Croat will come back to North London with a spring in his step, hoping to carry on from where he left off.
2. Hugo Lloris
After an impressive catalogue of saves, Hugo Lloris fell at the final hurdle and just missed out on lifting the World Cup trophy for second time.
Tottenham fans are prone to forget that Lloris has given his career to us and has been an incredible captain and member of the squad over the last decade.
He will be given two weeks off following the World Cup in Qatar; however, many will be hoping he will return for the London derby on Boxing Day.
1. Cristian Romero
Cristian Romero is a World Cup winner and we are so lucky to have him at Tottenham.
An exceptional tournament from the Argentine with one of his best performances coming in the final against France. This included a great moment of torment towards Kylian Mbappe, in an act of redemption for club teammate Harry Kane.
The value of Romero must have risen immensely following this match and Spurs fans will look forward to seeing him back in North London soon.
Romero becomes the second player to win the World Cup for the Lilywhites in as many tournaments, with Hugo Lloris winning the last one.