'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Every 4 years FIFA presents us with a majestic tournament in which top 32 nations worldwide compete for the prestigious the FIFA World Cup trophy.
And it would be accurate when you say that this World Cup has been full of surprises. From Germany's first ever group stage exit to Russia's upset win over the giants of European football Spain we have dealt with a lot in the past 1 month and so.
But every great thing comes to an end and this World Cup is no exception. With the final scheduled on 15th of July, we are 9in the final week of the tournament. Some players failed to live up to the hype while some made the most of the opportunities presented to them.
A certain group of stars in this World Cup have one thing in common and that is the number 7 on the back of their jersey.
The number made famous by the English club Manchester United is now considered a very important squad number in club football and international football. A plethora of Manchester United greats have donned the famous number 7 jersey from George Best, Eric Cantona to David Beckham and the current Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo.
Keeping club football aside, many star players of this world cup have been the seen wearing the number 7 jersey and here we list out the top 7 number 7s of FIFA world cup 2018:
#7 Ahmed Musa, Nigeria
The Nigerian number 7 had a decent World Cup in Russia. Scoring twice in Nigeria's win over Iceland, the Leicester city man ended the tournament as Nigeria's top scorer at FIFA World Cup 2018. Apart from his goals, he proved to be a genuine threat up front for his side.
The Leicester city forward is one the fastest players in the Premier League, something which was evident in Russia as well.
Though Nigeria crashed out of the group stage, Musa did his bit in Russia. With his speed and goalscoring exploits the African might get a call from some of the top European clubs post-world cup.
African nations didn’t have a very memorable outing in Russia but Ahmed Musa will cherish his performances for the rest of his life.
#6 Cristian Rodriguez, Uruguay
The 32-year old Uruguayan veteran might have played his last World Cup. The technically gifted winger did play all the matches for his country and never failed to impress. Though he is not as fast as he used to be still was a valuable asset for the Uruguayan national side. With 109 caps to his name, Rodriguez is one of most capped players for his nation.
Rodriguez might not have started all the matches but his involvement every time brought a big cheer from Uruguay supporters. The South American has played for Spanish giants athletic Madrid for 3 years.
Uruguay might have crashed out at the hands of France in the quarterfinals but their display in Russia was well applauded.
Thr Uruguayan number 7 will be missed by his national side upon retirement, something we might hear anytime soon.
#5 Ivan Rakitic, Croatia
Cool as a cucumber, Ivan Rakitic is one of the stars of FIFA World Cup 2018. He along with Luka Modric has been the driving force behind Croatia's world cup fairytale. The Barcelona midfielder plays with a stable head and never loses composure, something that embellishes to his genius on the field.
He was given the responsibility to score the final spot kick in Croatia vs Russia quarterfinal penalty shootout and the Barcelona man didn’t disappoint as Croatia ousted the hosts to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup.
Luka Modric is undoubtedly one the best players in Croatia but Rakitic has proved to be equally valuable with his presence in the centre of the park.
#4 Jesse Lingard, England
The English international has been in sensational form. A year ago not many would’ve believed Lingard to be a regular starter for three lions but his consistent performances have earned him the opportunity to represent his nation at the grandest stage of them all.
Harry Kane might be scoring all the goals for England but Lingard has been equally important. One thing that the Manchester United man does better than anyone else is off the ball movement.
It his positioning and a habit of scoring mind-boggling goals that make him an asset for the English team
Talking about his knack for sensational goals, he did score one of the goals of the tournament in English 6-1 win over Panama.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo recently moved to Juventus from Real Madrid to give us the biggest transfer of this present window. The former Real Madrid man is one of the greatest players of all time and he showcased his class in Portugal's 3-3 draw against might Spain.
It was like Spain vs Ronaldo, and the former United winger lived up to the hype with a hattrick against the Spanish side.
With 4 goals to his name, Ronaldo is the joint second top scorer of FIFA world cup in Russia despite Portugal's round of 16 exit by Uruguay.
The Portuguese number 7 had a great World Cup and was on target again against Morocco as Portugal prevailed with a 1-0 victory.
His freekick goal against David de Gea might turn out to be the best goal of FIFA world cup 2018
#2 Kevin De Bruyne, Belgium
It was disheartening to see Kevin de Bruyne bow out of the World Cup following his team's loss to France in the semi-finals. The Manchester city man had a decent World Cup and showed everyone why he is one the best players in the world.
With his precision and dynamic approach towards the game, De Bruyne was a genuine threat all around. The main reason for De Bruyne being in the top 2 is his sensational performance against Brazil in the quarterfinals.
The samba nation was tipped to be the favourites in their tie against Belgium but De Bruyne had other plans. His goal proved to be the deciding factor as Belgium knocked out the 5-time world cup winners to reach their first semifinals since 1986.
On a day when players like Neymar, Eden Hazard, Coutinho were gracing the field, it was Kevin De Bruyne who stood out as the best. This just tells us the calibre of Belgium's number 7.
#1 Antoine Griezmann, France
And the man who tops our list Antoine Griezmann. The 2018 World Cup finalist was near perfection in France's semi-final encounter against Belgium. Though the Athletico Madrid man didn’t score, he was a genuine threat all along.
Griezmann belongs to a rare class of players of are capable of starting a move at the back and be there to finish it off at the front. The French international scored in France's quarterfinal win over Uruguay and has been their star man in Russia.
The French number 7 belongs to a golden generation of French footballers and will look to claim the FIFA trophy in Moscow. Griezman was the top scorer of UEFA European championships in 2016 when France lost out to Portugal in the final.
The Frenchman was even named the best player of the tournament and if France goes on to win the final, he might get his hands on the golden ball as well.
