World Cup 2018: Golden Ball Power Rankings

#8 Phillipe Coutinho

Coutinho

When Cristiano Ronaldo gets the ball anywhere in the six-yard area with a little bit of space, one expects a goal. When Robert Lewandowski steps up to the penalty spot, one expects him to convert the penalty. When Roberto Carlos took a free kick, goalkeepers would already start picking the ball of the net. Similarly, when Philippe Coutinho gets the ball at the left edge of the penalty area with some space, one should expect a goal. Coutinho has scored quite a few world-class goals in his career from precisely that spot. Yet perhaps none of those goals were more important than Coutinho’s goal vs Switzerland. Aesthetically the goal was perhaps the best of the tournament.

However, Coutinho’s contributions to the Brazilian team have been so much more than that goal. The midfielder has been the creative hub of the Selecao as his passing has split opposition defenses. What makes him unique is that he combines the majestic passing of a midfielder with the intelligent running of a forward. This has been evident in the World Cup as Coutinho has had a ridiculous pass success percentage of 90.9% while averaging 82 average passes per game (tied for 15th in the tournament). Coutinho has also created 3.5 key passes per game, tied for 3rd in the World Cup. Moreover, Coutinho’s aforementioned threat from distance has helped attract defenders, allowing his teammates to make runs behind the defence. It is little wonder that Barcelona paid the third largest transfer fee of all time for the Brazilian.