Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal). After Man City's 3-4 loss to Al Hilal, coach Pep Guardiola singled out Bounou as the reason for his team's elimination from the Club World Cup.

The Moroccan goalkeeper saved 5 potential goals, including a spectacular save against Savinho that went viral on social media. He also made several timely interventions to protect his goal. Football statistics website Fotmob gave Bounou a rating of 7.9, behind only Koulibaly (8), Malcom (8), and Marcos Leonardo (8.9).

Left-back Joaquin Piquerez (Palmeiras). Piquerez played the entire 120+ minutes in Palmeiras' 1-0 victory over Botafogo, making three successful tackles and achieving an 87% passing accuracy. Fotmob rated Piquerez 8.1, second only to his teammate Richard Rios.

Center-back Ignacio (Fluminense). Ignacio was an integral part of Fluminense's defense in their 2-0 win against Inter Milan. Alongside goalkeeper Fabio and fellow center-back Thiago Silva, the 28-year-old formed an impenetrable wall. Lautaro Martinez and his teammates managed 16 shots, but only 4 were on target, resulting in no goals. Fotmob awarded Ignacio a 7.8 rating.

Center-back Kalidou Koulibaly (Al Hilal). The 4-3 victory over Man City justified Al Hilal's $26 million USD investment in the 32-year-old from Chelsea in 2023. Koulibaly not only led the defense but also contributed effectively in attack, scoring a header to make it 3-2 in the 94th minute. This was his fifth goal in 99 appearances for Al Hilal. Koulibaly received an 8 rating from Fotmob.

Right-back Reece James (Chelsea). In Chelsea's 4-1 win over Benfica, the captain played 80 minutes, had 77 touches, and completed 61 passes. Crucially, he opened the scoring with a 30-meter free-kick in the 64th minute. James earned an 8.2 rating from Fotmob.

Midfielder Richard Rios (Palmeiras). Rios assisted Paulinho's lone goal in Palmeiras' 1-0 victory against Botafogo. The 25-year-old Colombian midfielder played the full 120+ minutes, boasting an 83% passing accuracy, winning 75% of his duels and tackles, and completing 9 passes in the final third. Fotmob gave Rios, often compared to South America's "Toni Kroos", an 8.3 rating.

Midfielder Joao Neves (PSG). Neves was named man of the match in PSG's 4-0 win over Inter Miami. The 20-year-old Portuguese midfielder played just 62 minutes, taking two shots, scoring two goals, and achieving 95% passing accuracy, including 100% on long passes. Fotmob awarded Neves a 9.1 rating.

Midfielder Jhon Arias (Fluminense). Despite not scoring or assisting in Fluminense's 2-0 victory over Inter, Arias was named man of the match. The 27-year-old Colombian midfielder led the game in successful dribbles (3) and created the most chances (4). Arias received an 8 rating from Fotmob.

Forward Serhou Guirassy (Dortmund). Guirassy scored both goals in Dortmund's 2-1 win against Monterrey. The joint top scorer of last season's Champions League (alongside Raphinha) is one of 12 players with three goals so far in the Club World Cup, one behind Angel Di Maria with 4. If he scores against Real in the upcoming quarter-final, Guirassy will take the lead. Fotmob rated Guirassy 9.2.

Forward Marcos Leonardo (Al Hilal). The 22-year-old emerged as the hero, scoring two decisive goals against Man City. His header leveled the score at 1-1 in the 46th minute, and he then sealed the 4-3 win for Al Hilal in the 112th minute. Like Guirassy, Leonardo now has three goals in the tournament. The Brazilian star received an 8.9 rating from Fotmob.

Forward Harry Kane (Bayern). After a quiet group stage, Kane rediscovered his form with a brace against Flamengo, securing a 4-2 victory for Bayern. FIFA named Kane man of the match, and Fotmob awarded him an 8.9 rating.

Coach Renato Gaucho (Fluminense). Gaucho's decision to deploy a three-center-back formation, a previously unfamiliar tactic, paid off unexpectedly. Fluminense kept a clean sheet against Inter, last season's UEFA Champions League finalists, while scoring two goals of their own. Fluminense remains unbeaten in the Club World Cup, having drawn 0-0 against both Dortmund and Mamelodi Sundowns, and winning 4-2 against Ulsan and 2-0 against Inter Milan.

Photo: AFP, AP, Reuters, FIFA, NP