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The countdown has already begun and it is ticking. The biggest tournament in the world is going to begin in a few weeks’ time. While club football might still not be over due to the impending Champions League final, there is already a feeling that people might have just forgotten about it after all and are, instead, hyped about the World Cup.
That is what the greatest competition in the world does to people – it makes people dream. The joy of seeing your country lift the trophy is unparalleled and can’t be explained in words.
Like every other year, every player would look to help his team to lift the biggest trophy of them all. And here are 10 players to look out for at the World Cup 2018.
#10 Toni Kroos
The German is the midfield engine of Real Madrid and Germany. His presence at the centre gives balance to the team and provides them with someone who sets the tempo from the middle.
The German has made 76.7 passes-per-game in the league with an accuracy of 93.1%. He has also made 2.4 key-passes-per-game but the best part is his 6.2 long-balls-per-game.
His ability to launch the ball and find his team-mates 50-60 yard away from him makes him a great proponent of counter-attacking football.
#9 Paul Pogba
Ever since his big-money move to Manchester United, he hasn’t had the same influence like he had in the Juventus team. Nonetheless, United have looked a more cohesive unit with his presence on the field.
For France, he holds a lot of importance as he is the sole creative hub in midfield. With 6 goals and 10 assists for Manchester United in the Premier League this season, Pogba was the fulcrum of their creative play.
And so will he be for France in the World Cup.
#8 Kevin De Bruyne
The Belgian barely missed out on the Premier League Player of the Year but make no mistake here: he is the star that carried Manchester City to Premier League glory this season.
I mean, his numbers are just insane. In 36 matches in the Premier League, he scored 8 goals and provided an astonishing 16 assists to his team-mates. Furthermore, he made 2.9 key-passes-per-game and was the heartbeat of City’s attacks.
For Belgium to flourish in the World Cup, he has to be at his brilliant best.
#7 Kylian Mbappe
He only just made a big-money move to Paris Saint-Germain last summer and accompanied Neymar in Paris. This season was only his second ever in the top flight and he is already rubbing shoulders with veterans.
He might not have had much of an influence against Real Madrid in the Champions League this season – neither did Neymar, for the record – but his 13 goals and 8 assists in 27 league games is a testament to how important a figure he has been for the Parisiens.
On top of that, he played on the right-wing, something that is not his preferred position. For France, he shall play at the left and be much more influential than he was for PSG.
#6 Isco
The first player that comes to mind when thinking of Spain is Isco. While Iniesta might also feature in the squad and play his last World Cup with La Furia Roja, Isco is the one that has the biggest burden in midfield and attack.
His ability to bring the ball out of midfield and into the attack makes him the one connecting the dots for Spain. His season with Real Madrid might not have been as great as it was last season but despite that, he has scored 7 goals and made 7 assists in 21 starts and 9 substitute appearances.
He has a much bigger role with Spain and manager Julen Lopetegui would hope that he fulfils it.
#5 Roberto Firmino
Right now, the general consensus is that Gabriel Jesus will be playing as the striker for Brazil. It would, however, be wiser to use Roberto Firmino alongside Neymar as the former has the experience of playing with an outright scoring machine in the form of Mohamed Salah.
Roberto Firmino not only has the ability to score goals but also make plays and assist his team-mates. He is also extremely hard working and is the first line of defence for Liverpool.
In the Premier League this season, the Brazilian scored 10 goals and made 7 assists and is perhaps Liverpool’s most important player in attack.
#4 Neymar
The phenomenon. The man on whose shoulders rest the hopes of Brazil and their fans. Neymar was signed by PSG last summer amid much fanfare and while he might have taken the league to a storm, there is a feeling that his move might not have been fruitful after all.
Nevertheless, his numbers with the French giants are just insane. He scored 19 goals and made 13 assists from 19 games in the French Ligue 1. He just basically toyed with the opposition defenders and gave them an incredibly hard time when pitted against him.
The fact that he made 3.3 key-passes-per-match is a testament to his abilities. And now that he is back to fitness, this is just good news for the Brazilians.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo
When the 2017-18 season began, many thought that the Portuguese was finished. After all, he had a terrible start to the season and struggled to score goals for the Whites.
In the end, however, he turned up his A game and actually helped the Galacticos reach the final of the Champions League for the third season in a row. Let’s lay down the stats, shall we?
12 matches, 15 goals and 3 assists in the Champions League. 26 goals and 5 assists in the league. He might be 33-years-old but there is no stopping this demon. And given the fact that Portugal are European champions, he could fancy his team’s chances to also become the World champions as well.
#2 Mohamed Salah
The reason why the Egyptian has been placed so high needs no explanation. The former Basel star took the Premier League to storm after his move from Roma. Liverpool themselves would not have expected the elite level of performances that he put up this season.
With 32 goals from 36 league games – and an extra 10 assists on top of that – Mohamed Salah etched his name as the best player of the league this season, beating the mercurial Kevin De Bruyne.
His performances in the Champions League – 10 goals and 4 assists from 12 games –also helped Liverpool reach the final of the competition and he could just ruin Madrid’s streak next Saturday.
But regardless of what happens in the final, Egypt’s World Cup dreams lie on its greatest player’s shoulders.
#1 Lionel Messi
The best player in the world has to play with a very weak squad in the World Cup. Nevertheless, you can never really count out a team which has Lionel Messi in it – he alone can change the course of a game with his brilliance.
It is not a coincidence that the only game Barcelona lost this season in the league was when the Argentine genius wasn’t in the squad. With 34 goals and 12 assists from 36 league games, Messi is perhaps the most important player for the teams that he represents.
When he plays, his teams tend to win – and Argentina would hope that he makes them win the biggest trophy of them all as well.
