FIFA Men's World Cup

Top 50 players at 2022 World Cup, No. 44: Darwin Nunez

Published Oct. 8, 2022 6:04 p.m. ET

FOX Sports soccer analyst and former USMNT midfielder Stu Holden is counting down the 50 best players participating in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Up next is …

Darwin Núñez

Country: Uruguay
Rank: 44
Rank in 2018: N/A
Position: Attacker
Age: 23

With Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani nearing the end of their international careers, Uruguay needed a young striker to breakout before the World Cup. In Darwin Núñez, they got just that.

"He's a big, tall striker, but also has an incredible ability to finish the ball, which is what is most important for the No. 9 position," Holden said of Liverpool's £85 million man.

The other attacking stars in Uruguay's group — Cristiano Ronaldo and Son Heung-min — have more experience on soccer's biggest stage, but if Núñez enters the tournament in good form, that might not matter.