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Yet another domestic football season has concluded and it has given us numerous memories to hold on to. From the nerve-wracking UCL moments to the tightly-contested battle for domestic supremacy in England, ardent football followers were treated with a delightful period of football.
The recently-culminated domestic season was all the more special, coming on the back of FIFA World Cup 2018. The World Cup was an altogether different spectacle that took place in Russia. The quadrennial tournament lived up to its hype as the football enthusiasts enjoyed every bit of it.
The reason for glorifying 2018 FIFA World Cup is the number of sensational performances that were on show in Russia. Many players had a spectacular World Cup and it is fair to say that their performances back in Russia shall be remembered for ages.
While some players were able to carry their tremendous form to the club football season, there were quite a few who found it hard to replicate their showings in Russia.
This discussion is around the players who had a remarkable World Cup in Russia but were unable to enjoy the similar kind of form in the domestic season that followed the majestic FIFA tournament.
Here we list down 5 star performers from FIFA World Cup who endured a torrid season in the recently-concluded domestic season:
#5 Jesse Lingard
England's 'Coming Home' party was one of the highlights of the tournament as the Three Lions performed really well in Russia. Not much was expected of the young English contingent but they did surprise the footballing world by reaching the semifinals of the tournament.
Many players stood out for the Three Lions and one such player was Jesse Lingard. The Manchester United starlet was one of the star performers for his nation and gained many an applause for his energy and work rate on the field.
Unfortunately for Jesse and for Manchester United, the Englishman couldn't carry his international form to the domestic season as he failed to deliver for the Red Devils.
The English winger was one of the underperforming stars for Manchester United as he scored just 5 goals for his club and the level of performances wasn't really commendable.
Jesse looked like a pale shadow of himself in the 2018/19 season and Manchester United fans weren't impressed by his showings in the club's shirt.
#4 Dejan Lovren
The Liverpool centre-back was integral to Croatia's run in the 2018 FIFA World Cup as the European nation reached the final of the tournament. Lovren had a brilliant campaign in Russia and many labelled him as the finest defender of the tournament.
Lovren's ability to read the opposition attacks was lauded by fans and critics as he earned himself a spot in the list of best starting 11 of the tournament. Great things were expected of Lovren coming into the 2018/19 domestic season but the Croatian won't reckon this as his best time in a Liverpool shirt.
Lovren's season was marred by injuries as he missed out on giving any valuable contribution to the otherwise brilliant season for Liverpool. The sturdy defender featured in as few as 18 fixtures for Liverpool this season and with the dominant pairing of Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip thriving at Liverpool, it seems like Lovren won't be the first choice next season.
#3 Benjamin Pavard
It was the Round of 16 when France squared off against Argentina as the two teams looked to go through to the quarterfinals. The match was labelled as the 'Clash of Titans', owing to the magnitude of star power on both sides. France took the lead early via Antoine Griezmann's penalty, but the South American unit did strike back and even took the lead just minutes into the second half.
Argentina's lead didn't last long as a young Benjamin Pavard scored an absolute stunner which was later awarded as the goal of the tournament. The young Frenchman was on every newspaper the following morning as he literally scored one of the greatest World Cup goals of all time. Les Bleus won the Cup and Benjamin Pavard was named amongst the best players of the tournament.
Many big clubs were rumoured to be interested in the Frenchman but he decided to stay on at VfB Stuttgart. The German outfit is looking at relegation and it is fair to say that the Frenchman didn't enjoy a really pleasant season.
The right back from France is set to join Bayern Munich in the upcoming season.
#2 Romelu Lukaku
The lethal forward had an amazing time in Russia as he scored 4 goals in Belgium's remarkable campaign. Romelu Lukaku was one of the best forwards of the tournament as his strength and accuracy proved to be vital to Belgium's third-place finish.
The Belgian, however, endured a drastic drop in form when he came back to Manchester United as he was often criticized for being out of shape and his performances didn't help his case as he faced the wrath of fans all around the globe on social media for his underwhelming performances.
The Manchester United number 9 is rumoured to be leaving the club in the upcoming transfer as he has been deemed by critics and fans as 'not fit enough' to play in Man Utd shirt.
Lukaku did have a memorable night in Paris when Manchester United famously defeated PSG to edge through to the quarterfinals of UCL but that was it as he failed to carry on, as a result to which The Red Devils missed out on the Champions League spot.
The brawny Belgian scored a meagre 15 goals this term which is just not good enough for the Manchester United centre-forward.
#1 Luka Modric
And on number 1, we have the Player of the Tournament from the 2018 FIFA World Cup -- Luka Modric. The Croatian was utterly sensational in Russia as he helped his nation reach the final of the tournament, where they came short against a dynamic French side.
Modric's heroics even earned him the Ballon d'Or, thus making him the only man to win the prize apart from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in this decade. Modric received numerous awards following the World Cup and his presence in the middle made Real Madrid favourites for a number of trophies. Unfortunately for the Croatian and for Los Blancos, Modric didn't enjoy a really spectacular season as Real Madrid ended the term empty-handed.
While it might be too harsh to judge a player after one bad season, Luka Modric has set the standards pretty high. Modric is one of the few names expected to depart as Real Madrid are set for an arduous task of replacing the majestic Croatian.
