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Barcelona had a near perfect campaign in the La Liga. They missed out on the Invincibles tag by a whisker after conceding defeat in their last match of the season against Levante. Some of their players have been in top form throughout the season and are expected to kick on in the same vein and have a successful World Cup campaign in Russia.
As we all know, Barcelona houses some of the hottest talents in football right now and several of them will fancy their chances of winning the World Cup this term with their respective national teams.
La Blaugrana have an array of stars going to Russia to play in the grandest stage of them all. Almost all of their first team stars are ready to set the tournament alight and we take a look at the players who stand the best chance of returning to the Camp Nou as World Champions.
#3 Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba- Spain
Spain are one of the favourites to go the distance this time around and if you look at the talent at their disposal, you'd agree. After a forgettable 2014 campaign, La Furia Roja will pull out all stops to ensure that they make the most of it this time around.
Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba have been in great form this season. Pique has been a brick wall in defence and has come into his own after seeming to lose his touch a bit towards the end of last season.
Alba, who absolutely relishes the freedom he's got on the left flank following the departure of Neymar will try to do the same for the national team that is packed with central midfielders.
Don Andres doesn't need an introduction and let us all hope that his final World Cup will be replete with moments that are as glorious as his career. He will also have the ever-reliable Sergio Busquets operating behind him and it is safe to say that Spain has the silk and the steel to boss the midfield realms in the World Cup.
This could very well be Spain's year.
#2 Lionel Messi- Argentina
It would be safe to say that Lionel Messi single-handedly schlepped the Albiceleste to Russia with a spectacular display against Ecuador in the final qualifying match. Messi scored a hattrick which proved to be the difference between the two teams on the night.
This is not the first time that Argentina has been pulled out of the pit of mediocrity by Messi. Though Argentina have a star-studded team with some fantastic individuals, they just don't seem to be able to play well together.
The story is similar to that of the 2014 World Cup's. Even though he could find himself having to be at his very best to help Argentina to success, he has proven that he is more than capable of doing it.
If this Argentina team do go the distance, Lionel Messi will have played quite a huge role in that.
#1 Philippe Coutinho and Paulinho (Brazil)
These 2 signings from the 2017/18 season have proven with their performances that they are worthwhile additions to the legendary club. Paulinho's signing was met with contempt at first as he was joining from the Chinese Super League. However, he has wound them all up by putting in quality shifts day in and day out.
Paulinho is different from most Barcelona midfielders. He is a box to box midfielder who puts his strength and tenacity to good use. The Brazilian also adds a certain dynamism to the midfield which has often caught oppositions off guard and help churn out results for the Cules.
Philippe Coutinho was brought in for a record sum of money from Liverpool in the January transfer window. He has gone on to prove that he is a perfect fit for Barcelona with his silky dribbling skills, excellent playmaking skills and technical proficiency.
Coutinho and Paulinho are as important to the Brazilian team as they are to Barcelona. In fact, this is the strongest the Brazil team has looked for a long time. With the likes of Neymar, Firmino, Marcelo, Douglas Costa, Willian and Coutinho in their ranks, Brazil are surely going to be one of the most exciting teams to watch this season.
