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The 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia is almost here. At the end of each tournament, FIFA awards the players who have prominently made an impact for their nation with various awards.
The Golden Ball is awarded to the World Cup's most outstanding player. In 2014, that award was given to Lionel Messi for leading Argentina to the final.
The Golden Boot is awarded to the player who scores the most goals. In 2014, James Rodriquez's 6 goals secured himself the title of the top goalscorer.
The Golden Glove is awarded to the tournament's most outstanding goalkeeper. In 2014, Manuel Neuer won the award after a number of world-class performances.
And finally, the Best Young Player Award is given to the most outstanding player of the tournament 21-years-old or younger. France's Paul Pogba won the award in 2014 after multiple strong outings for Les Bleus.
Who's going to shine at this year's tournament, and who's going to win the awards? Here are my predictions for the 2018 FIFA World Cup award recipients.
Best Young Player - Marcus Rashford
Not too long ago, Marcus Rashford was an unknown in the Manchester United youth system. In the wake of multiple injuries, the now 20-year-old was given the chance to play, and he hasn't looked back since.
Rashford is coming off of a club season in which he contributed 13 goals and 6 assists in all competitions. The attacker projects to play either on the wing or just off of perennial goalscorer Harry Kane as a central forward.
Against some of the international powerhouses, England will have a lot of defending to do, but Rashford's blazing pace makes them extremely dangerous on the counter. On his day, Rashford has proven ability to score with the best of them, and he's a legit contender for this year's Best Young Player award.
Other Potential Winners: Kylian Mbappe, Gabriel Jesus, Kasper Dolberg
The Golden Glove - David De Gea
David De Gea has proven himself as one of the best goalkeeper's in the world. After backing up Iker Casillas in the 2014 World Cup, this will be De Gea's first World Cup as the full-time starter, and I think it's going to be a good one.
De Gea has been arguably Manchester United's most valuable player the last few seasons, constantly coming up with mind-boggling saves. With Spain's defence prone to mistakes, De Gea will have plenty of work to do.
If he can manage to carry over his form in England to the biggest stage in Russia, he will definitely be a front-runner for this tournament's Golden Glove award.
Other Potential Winners: Manuel Neuer, Allison, Keylor Navas
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Golden Boot - Neymar
Brazil will field one of their most talented sides in recent memory. With an abundance of attacking options, I think there will be plenty of goals scored by the Brazilians, with Neymar leading the totals.
After missing several months with a broken foot, it appears Neymar is back to full health and ready to lead Brazil to World Cup glory.
He came close to the award in 2014 with 4 goals, but after plenty of time to rest and prepare, I think the country's "Golden Boy" has a great chance to win this year's Golden Boot.
Other Potential Winners: Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann, Romelu Lukaku
Golden Ball - Lionel Messi
Whether it's fair or not, Lionel Messi will always be compared to Diego Maradona. In what will most likely be his final World Cup appearance, Messi has the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Coming off of a La Liga winning season with Barcelona in which he scored 45 goals in all competitions, the best player in the world is in fine form heading into the world's biggest tournament.
The Argentine maestro led his country all the way to the final in 2014, only to fall just short to a strong German side. After winning the Golden Ball the last time around, I see no reason why Messi can't repeat as the award winner again in 2018.
Other Potential Winners: Neymar, Antoine Griezmann, Eden Hazard
Let us know what you think about this list in the comments section below.
