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It is almost that time again, the sporting event that simply brings the world together at an amount no other sporting event has ever seen. The tournament brings together the worlds best players and names from all across the world to one big tournament. This year's tournament is being hosted in Russia.
World Cups over the years have given rise to many heroes. Many unknown footballers have risen to stardom in the world's greatest competition. As the date for Russia 2018 draws near, we look at some footballers who have the potential to make a name for themselves at the big stage:
#5 Emil Forsberg (Sweden)
With Zlatan Ibrahimovic hanging his boots in the international scene, Sweden will now be heavily dependent on their new star- Emil Forsberg.
The Red Bull Leipzig winger has been in tremendous form in the Bundesliga in the past couple of seasons and has really built himself a reputation amongst the football fans in Germany.
The 26-year-old could prove to be just as vital for the country as he is for the club this summer as Sweden look to surprise and overcome the likes of Germany, Mexico, and South Korea.
His pace and delivery from out wide could be crucial to whoever starts up front (Ola Toivonen or Marcus Berg likely) and I have no doubts that he will stand out from among the rest of the team.
He has 33 caps for Sweden since 2014 and has scored on six occasions. The World Cup in Russia will be his chance to show football fans across the globe just what he can do and can be a dark horse. Certainly worth keeping an eye on.
#2 Kylian Mbappe (France)
Mbappe is the best teenage footballer football has seen since Lionel Messi. His precocity is only surpassed by fantasies of how bright his star, once fully developed, could be. At £165m, he is the second most expensive footballer in history. He was 18 at the time and turned 19 in December 2017. Having moved on loan from Monaco to Ligue 1 rivals PSG on the back of an impressive season, the 19-year-old forward has been in great form once again this year.
He may have been slightly overshadowed by the arrival of Neymar at the French giants, but he’s certainly still doing his bit, having hit 9 goals in 19 games. For France, he is likely to play up top with Antoine Griezmann and if those two can link up well then it’s going to be a nightmare for all the defenders.
Dubbed “The next Thierry Henry” by pundits the world over – Mbappe is a bright young talent with bags of space and a natural ability to score goals that could see him become the world’s best player in years to come. He will be looking to help fire Les Bleus to glory in his very first major tournament.
#3 Andre Silva (Portugal)
Forward Andre Silva is regarded as being the next big thing for The Selecao and it’s quite easy to see why. The 22-year-old, who plays his club football for AC Milan, only made his debut for Portugal back in 2016 but has already hit 11 goals in 18 caps for the side.
He’s a confident striker who knows how to finish chances and is seen as the heir to Ronaldo’s throne by fans of the national team as he has the potential to be simply incredible.
Portugal will be fancied to progress from their group but ties against Denmark and Spain could prove to be tricky. Silva will be their main focal point up front with Ronaldo and any out of Nani, Bruma or Ricardo Quaresma out wide on the wings alongside him.
#4 Son Heung-min(South Korea)
In 2016-17, Son scored 14 goals and added six assists in 34 appearances. And it’s not just the number of goals he scores, but the importance of them. He’s a clutch performer who elicits the best from his teammates.
The 25-year-old winger is truly electric when he bursts forward with his immense speed on the break and can finish well too. After spending five years in the Bundesliga in Germany, he made the move to England with Spurs in 2015 and he has been brilliant ever since.
26 goals in 88 appearances for the North London club has seen him become the highest scoring Asian in PL history and now he will be hoping to make a mark on the international scene for his country.
It will be interesting to see how he gets on as the main star in the team – having no doubt become somewhat used to playing second fiddle to the likes of Kane, Alli and Eriksen at club level.
#5 Jose Maria Gimenez (Uruguay)
Over the past two seasons, the 23-year-old has established himself in the starting eleven’s at both club and international level. In La Liga, he is widely regarded as one of the best up and coming defenders in the division and so it’s little wonder to hear that some of the other big clubs in Europe are after his signature.
Calm and collected at the back, he has everything it takes to become a truly world class defender and with an experienced player like Godin alongside him for club and country, he will most certainly be receiving some expert advice too.
With Suarez and Cavani likely to score quite a few goals between them this summer, it will be Gimenez and Godin who do the dirty work at the opposite end of the pitch for the Uruguayans in Russia. Keep your eye on him because he is quite the player.
