In about an hour or so, France and Croatia will begin their final match in this year’s World Cup. While France was always expected to do well, it is the Croatians who are soon becoming everyone’s favourite – everybody loves an underdog. This FIFA saw many heroes and villains, individuals who brought their team fame and some who were so dramatic that they became instant memes.

Take a look:

Cristiano Ronaldo

 

 

Vamos família!👍🏽🇵🇹

A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) on

Yes, Portugal were eliminated but the team got so far in the World Cup squarely because of Ronaldo’s skills. He really stepped up his game and delivered for the team so much so that netizens began joking if it was Ronaldo versus everyone else.

Raheem Sterling

 

Rod Liddle writes for The Times that Sterling is “England’s most creative, industrious and dangerous player” and that were it not for the 23-year-old, the English side would have had a hard time picking all those defences.

Kim Young-gwon

 

Remember when South Korea shockingly defeated Germany? Well, Young-gwon shot the first goal, aiding in the belief that maybe they could do it … and they did.

Neymar

 

 

Que Deus nos abençoe e nos proteja 🙏🏽⚽🇧🇷

A post shared by Nj 🇧🇷 👻 neymarjr (@neymarjr) on

What was that rolling all about? Neymar, widely considered to be the best player in the world, showed exactly how dramatic he could be. His antics became meme-material and he became a laughing stock.

Lionel Messi

 

 

A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi) on

Well, he isn’t exactly a villain but he wasn’t a hero either, at least as far as this World Cup is concerned.