The dust has settled on an epic World Cup and now the attention turns to the Premier League kick-off on August 21st. Pre-season is well underway at Tottenham, and De Zerbi will be looking closely at every player, all of whom will want to impress the new boss to have a chance of being in the team for the opening day fixture away at Brentford.
Eleven Tottenham players spent their summer representing their countries on football’s biggest stage. While they have yet to work closely under De Zerbi, they have all had the chance to showcase their abilities at the World Cup.
Here are Tottenham’s eleven World Cup representatives ranked by their performances this summer.
11th Place: Rodrigo Bentancur, Uruguay
It proved to be a World Cup to forget for both Bentancur and Uruguay as they crashed out in the group stage.
Bentancur started the opening two matches and worked tirelessly in midfield, but he struggled to influence games as Uruguay failed to find any rhythm.
Draws against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde left Uruguay needing to beat eventual champions Spain to qualify. Bentancur started that decisive match on the bench and Uruguay fell to defeat.
The one positive is that Bentancur will return to pre-season earlier than most and should be fully prepared for the opening weeks of the campaign.
10th Place: Andy Robertson, Scotland
Scotland’s supporters may have won the tournament in the stands if Boston is anything to go by, but Steve Clarke’s side disappointed on the pitch. Tottenham’s new signing Andy Robertson captained the side throughout a difficult campaign.
He opened with a solid display and a clean sheet against Haiti before Morocco comfortably beat Scotland in the second match. Robertson also picked up a booking. Brazil then wrapped up Scotland’s miserable tournament with a 3-0 victory, with Robertson substituted after 65 minutes.
He will hope life in North London brings far more success than his World Cup campaign.
9th Place: Pape Matar Sarr, Senegal
Sarr mainly featured as an impact substitute as Senegal battled through a difficult group alongside France and Norway.
He remained an unused substitute against France before watching Senegal dismantle Iraq. His best contribution came against Norway, where he created several chances after coming off the bench and almost scored himself. He also appeared late against Belgium but could not stop Senegal surrendering a two-goal lead.
Despite limited minutes, Sarr played positively whenever he entered the pitch.
His biggest challenge now will be forcing his way into De Zerbi’s midfield with Fernandes and Tonali also competing for places.
8th Place: Lucas Bergvall, Sweden
Bergvall and Sweden progressed through a competitive group before France comfortably knocked them out.
The young midfielder came off the bench in every group match. He registered an assist against Tunisia, picked up a booking against the Netherlands and replaced Alexander Isak early against Japan but struggled to influence the game.
France handed Bergvall his only start of the tournament in the Round of 32. He lasted just over an hour before Sweden exited with a 3-0 defeat.
Speculation continues over his future, with Nottingham Forest and Newcastle reportedly interested. Unless something changes quickly, first-team opportunities under De Zerbi appear limited.
7th Place: Marco Senesi, Argentina
Senesi enjoyed an unforgettable week after joining Tottenham on a free transfer before receiving a late World Cup call-up following an injury to another defender.
His tournament featured very few opportunities. He made a brief substitute appearance against Jordan and remained on the bench until the World Cup Final, where he came on late to help Argentina see out the victory.
He will join Tottenham’s preparations later than most but should become an important member of what looks like an increasingly competitive squad.
6th Place: Micky van de Ven, Netherlands
The Netherlands entertained throughout the tournament but ultimately fell short of expectations.
Van de Ven started both opening matches, receiving a booking against Japan before producing an excellent display in the victory over Sweden. He then watched from the bench as the Dutch completed the group stage.
He impressed again against Morocco in the Round of 32 before leaving the field late in a penalty shootout defeat.
Van de Ven looks certain to play a huge role in Tottenham’s rebuild and many supporters already see him as a future captain.
5th Place: Kevin Danso, Austria
Danso enjoyed a solid if unspectacular tournament with Austria.
He helped secure victory over Jordan before starting against both Argentina and Algeria. Although Austria conceded three goals against Algeria, few defenders would have enjoyed that game.
Spain ended Austria’s journey in the knockout stage with a comfortable 3-0 win despite another committed display from Danso.
Competition for places at Tottenham looks fierce, but he gave another reminder that he can provide dependable cover when required.
4th Place: Jan Paul van Hecke, Netherlands
Tottenham supporters have every reason to feel excited about Van Hecke.
The Dutch defender played every minute of the tournament, averaged an impressive 7.9 rating and even scored against Tunisia in the group stage. He also delivered an outstanding performance against Morocco despite the eventual penalty shootout defeat.
Many supporters already dream about a partnership between Van Hecke and Van de Ven that could rival Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld.
With a significant transfer fee comes significant expectation. Now he must deliver.
3rd Place: Cristian Romero, Argentina
Romero once again showed why Europe’s biggest clubs continue to monitor him.
He eased through Argentina’s group matches before producing a series of commanding performances in the knockout rounds. He scored during the comeback victory over Egypt and led the defence superbly through extra time against Switzerland.
His aggressive style earned yellow cards against England and Spain, but he remained a commanding presence throughout Argentina’s run to the final.
If Tottenham lose Romero this summer, replacing his influence will prove incredibly difficult.
2nd Place: Djed Spence, England
No Tottenham player improved his reputation more than Djed Spence.
Many questioned England’s decision to take him ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold, but Spence answered those doubts with a series of outstanding displays.
He defended brilliantly against Argentina, regularly dealing with Lionel Messi until England eventually ran out of numbers. In the third-place play-off against France, his attacking runs won a penalty and repeatedly caused problems.
His group-stage performances lacked consistency, but he improved with every match and finished as one of England’s standout performers.
Ironically, his main competition at Tottenham comes from the only player who enjoyed a better tournament.
1st Place: Pedro Porro, Spain
Pedro Porro returns to North London as a World Cup winner.
That achievement means Tottenham have now produced a World Cup winner in three consecutive tournaments following Hugo Lloris in 2018 and Cristian Romero in 2022.
Porro played a key role in Spain’s success. He completed five full matches, missed only one through substitution and watched from the bench during Spain’s least convincing performances.
Spain conceded just one goal throughout the tournament and Porro helped build the defensive platform that carried them to the trophy.
He also contributed in attack. His goal against Austria impressed, but his strike against France in the semi-final stole the headlines. Spain completed a brilliant 16-pass move before Porro finished it off to cap one of the goals of the tournament.
Having recently signed a new contract, Porro heads into the new season full of confidence. His battle with Djed Spence for the right-back position could become one of Tottenham’s most fascinating contests.
Final Thoughts
Tottenham’s players experienced a World Cup full of highs and lows.
Some return with medals. Others return with lessons to learn. Every one of them now starts again under Roberto De Zerbi as they compete for places in what promises to be an exciting new era.
As supporters, we always take pride in seeing Tottenham represented on football’s biggest stage, and this summer proved no different.