Here we rank and introduce each of the top footballers to watch in FIFA World Cup 2014.
World Cup is something special for every football lover not just because of the most breathtaking range of football battles to watch in the month long tournament but it is also the championship where new stars of the game emerge or the famous star rises to unprecedented glory. It is the world's greatest football event to give birth to legends, stars and prodigies of world football. Like always this year in the FIFA World Cup 2014 predicting a potential list of world's greatest football prodigies to emerge truly seems to be a challenging task. While the established and already legendary football phenomenon of Lionel Messi or Christiano Ronaldo is in the lips of everyone, there is a whole new range of promising talents who can change the fate of their respective team with their brilliant scoring or gamemaking or defensive abilities. Here are our picks on top footballers to watch in FIFA World Cup 2014.
Hardly there can be any doubt concerning the dominance of this 3 time Ballon d'Or winner footballer of Argentina who broke every goal scoring record for his club FC Barcelona. In skill, scoring, gamemaking ability, passing, temperament and off the ball play - in consideration to the highest standard across all departments of soccer he is the greatest in our time and one of the few all time legends that the world of football would feel obliged forever. But however big and hilarious he looks in stature for his legendary brand of skillful football, until he wins the world cup title for his country the comparison with the greatest prodigies will always seem bleak. He is still in the peak of his form and in the next world cup definitely he will not be the same, especially because of age and the busy club football schedule. So, practically it is the last chance of Messi to do justice to his genius by winning the cup. Every opponent will have special defensive tactics for him and all the focus will be on him and in spite of that he has to give his best for the national team. How Messi meets this terminal challenge of his career, we are all holding our breath to see.
A rare football prodigy like him is playing in the same time (and in the same league too!) as another genius (Messi) who is slightly ahead of him in skills and scoring ability - that is precisely the reason why the brilliance of Christiano Ronaldo always looked a bit shadowed. After getting his long awaited Ballon d'Or for the first time beating Messi, he will look forward to bag the greatest honor and dream trophy for any footballer - World Cup. Unquestionably Portugal is a talented team but lacks depth in comparison to the greatest sides and that is where the challenge for this spectacular forward seems hilarious. If Portugal wins the title of FIFA World Cup 2014 it might be a Christiano Ronaldo show and whether he can accomplish this gigantic feat or not that remains to be seen.
Brazil never ceased to produce football's greatest stars and most impressive playmakers and Neymar is their latest and most spectacular offer to the world of football. This gritty forward winger is known to have array of football's most essential qualities at their best. Acceleration, speed, dribbling skill, finishing ability and sharp game sense - Neymar can make a difference to any match with a powerful mix of all of these qualities. Most important of all, Neymar plays for the Mecca of world football, Brazil where anybody can come out and surprise the world with a rare skill set. That is the biggest support for a prodigy to foster his individual brilliance and Neymar should take full chance of winning the title, this time in the home turf.
If you want to name one great playmaker of world football at this precise moment who holds the most impressive record for offering the most effective supply line for the goal scorers, it would be no other than Iniesta. If Messi rose to the prominence as world's greatest football prodigy of present day Iniesta can claim a great contribution. Yes, whether it is for the midfield of Barcelona or for Spain his skillful brand of football and impossibly virtuous passing sense offered a gamut of victories for both club and the nation. In both 2010 world cup winning streak and in 2012 European cup championship he was the crucial gamemaker in the midfield. As a midfielder he is the dream choice for any team not just because of his playmaking ability but also because of his consistent scoring ability against top opponents. Over the years he has been one of the most consistent performers in the world football as well and in this championship if Spain has to repeat their winning performance a lot would depend on this Spanish midfield prodigy.
Italy is known to have produced some of the greatest defenders and playmakers in the world football and after the retirement of the legendary Paolo Maldini, it is none other than Andrea Pirlo who from deep in the midfield is spearheading the Italian offensive. Pirlo typically plays in between the defense and the midfield position and in that sense he can be called a defensive midfielder. Pirlo belongs to a rare brand of defenders who is not particularly impressive in pace and tackling abilities but has great touch, control, dribbling skill and vision. He was an instrumental player in the 2006 World Cup win of Italy. This is probably going to be the last world cup for him and he will give his best to make his retirement a golden one.
The uncommon genius of Wayne Rooney is acclaimed across the football playing world irrespective of his career long inability to offer his national team any significant victory in the world stage. One of the all time greats in English football, Rooney with his skills, pace, power and scoring ability can change the face of the game at any point of time. But like his tremendously talented gamesmanship his failure is also one of the most unpredictable one. The highest paid footballer after Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo will desperately try to uphold Union Jack by winning the title this time and thus fulfill the much awaited English dream of repeating the historical victory of 1966.
If Spain in the last world cup final simply ousted the orange side with the sheer brilliance of their synchronized team attack, it was the individual football genius of this great Dutch midfielder who continued to produce creative burst of attacks in the Spanish goal-line from time to time. If luck would have favored Robben a little the history could have been otherwise, in spite of all round brilliance of Spain Robben and his Dutch squad could have taken the title. Would history be written again through the creative gamemaking ability of this great Dutch midfielder? That is the question every Dutch national and orange football fan asks this year. This veteran midfielder has only shown greater promise and sharpened himself with his age and by many considerations arguably the best midfielder in the world now. Can Arjen Robben give his nation the first ever world cup title, we can only wait for the answer now.
There are few teams in the FIFA World Cup 2014 that are particularly not looking very impressive except for one or two big stars in the squad who can make a difference in the fate of the team. France seems to fall in this category. Though this time Les Blues seem not to desperately look for the title, Frank Ribery with his tremendous midfield gamemaking ability and scoring streak in the club football can make serious difference with tough opponent. He was shortlisted for the FIFA Ballon d'Or trophy last yeal alongside Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo and he will love to prove his genius in the world stage by leading the French offensive to success.
If virtuoso Latin American team Columbia is considered a dark horse in this world cup that is largely duo to the immense game changing ability of this great midfielder prodigy. This young talent from Columbia has been an instrumental force in making Columbia a force in the present world football. He is consistent, skilled, cool and single handedly can lead the time in difficult situations. Undoubtedly the price of his transfer to Monaco that made him one of the most expensive footballers in the world is just one proof of this young genius. He will be supported by another football prodigy Radamel Falcao in the upfront besides an array of skillful talents that already made Columbia a really impressive force in the FIFA World Cup 2014.
In the African version of the world cup in 2010 we have already seen the sheer brilliance of this gritty German forward who also had been nominated for Golden Ball award. Great finishing and improvising playmaking, these two aspects combined together describes this German football prodigy best. He is presently ranked as one of the top assists across any squad and many even compare him with the French legendary midfielder Zinedine Zidane. This time German side is looking more power packed with several great talents in every position and Ozil can fully explore all his creative abilities for a splash German victory of title.
If Messi is the football avatar with a constellation of game's greatest qualities then this brilliant Argentine striker or center forward will only add more firepower to the team with his keen eye and hunger for the goal. As the world's greatest star Messi will be constantly under pressure and he will be specially marked by the defenders of any contending team and there the chances of becoming the top scorer and contributor in the team looms large for Aguero. Aguero is known for his agility, speed, great finishing, ball control and tremendous acceleration. He really can make a lot of difference for Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2014.
If in the last world cup Uruguay under the charismatic brilliance of Diego Forlan surprised the world in this world cup the same can be done by this great player. Suarez is particularly praised for his technical abilities and great eye for the goal. In the Latin American section of the qualifying round Suarez has been the top scorer with 11 goals to his credit and naturally the chances of Uruguay in this world cup largely depends upon this impressive forward of Liverpool.
If Latin American football in the last four years has witnessed a great upsurge of numerous soccer prodigies in all positions on the ground then there are few players who deserve to be named before anyone for their impressive skill set and match winning performance in the world stage. Radamel Falcao is just not one of them but he is one of the greatest exponents of new and young skill wagons in Latin football. This Monaco striker is one of the differentiator for both his club and the national team in the world football. He is often described as a natural and original striker and his adaptability to any position and always coming up with goals proves to be a great asset for his team. He is considered to be an unbeatable aerial player with numerous great goals with head. With more than 100 goals in the three club season in Europe Falcao seems to be way ahead of many over hyped European players and he will strive to prove that in this world cup.
When the attacking midfield of legendary Spanish play of 2010 World Cup or 2012 European cup is remembered we cannot help but to see this cool man spearheading the tapestry of passes to cut into the opponent defense. Yes, without Xavi the Spanish midfield and attack loses its luster and same is the fact with his club FC Barcelona. He won almost all major trophies for his club and nation and as this is probably going to be his last world cup he will definitely try to make his international exit memorable with superb performance and the title for his nation consecutively second time. We love to see Xavi playing in the center stage of Spanish attack, because it is unarguably a visual delight for the spectators.
There is no star studded team so youthful, enigmatic and brilliant as Argentina in this world cup and the fact is further proved with the depth that the team possesses in every playing position. Angel di Maria can truly prove to be the angel of Argentina's title winning streak in this world cup with his great run, great eye for the ball and net and his fabulous passing skill. This Real Madrid winger can be the secret weapon of Argentina in their offensive in Brazil when every contender becomes too much occupied with Messi. That describes the best opportunity for Maria to become a star performer for his national team.
Fabregas is tired or is he lacking further motivation after being part of so many title winning battles both for Spain and his club Barcelona? No, we still don't think so. This gritty central midfielder cum winger cum striker in the world cup winning Spanish team has also been Mr dependable scorer besides Messi in his club team FC Barcelona. He is praised in the international football for his versatility and flexibility as a player who can play in various positions from the midfield to attacking lineup and can play decisive role for the team either in assists or in scoring for the team. He is the player who can switch quickly between positions and roles. He can score or assist others to score while never losing eye for the opportunity. If Spain is again going to repeat their title winning campaign undoubtedly Fabregas will be a key playmaker for them.
Often goalkeepers are less mentioned in comparison to strikers or midfielders in the list of iconic footballers who can play decisive role in the title winning feat of their team irrespective of the fact that that they are often play more impressive role than the attacking bunch of their team. To prove the point further the instance of Casillas in the Spanish national team and in Real Madrid is enough. Yes, with one crucial save in the pinnacle moment of a match this acrobatic keeper often has been seen to have made big difference for his team. Few goalkeepers have been awarded the prestigious top award "Footballer of the Year". Casillas got it back in 2008 even before he participated in the world cup winning streak of Spain in 2010. His elemental role in Real Madrid helped the club number of times to secure top league spot or secure trophies. With most of the Latin American and European sides this time having some of the greatest scorers and attacking players the job of Casillas seems to be crucial for Spain.
Another great living goalkeeper who can change the course of game with his great saves in front of the bars. His safe hands and captaincy saved both Italy and Juventus many times. This former "UEFA Footballer of the Year" can really play destructive role in fusing the hopes of scorers and attackers just from his keeping stance. His experience and agility in front of the goal posts often make supporters leave the sigh of relief following a great save in the penalty. If Italy is eyeing the cup and looks for a revival of their winning spirit after the defeat in 2012 European cup, Buffon's hands has to offer great support from behind.
A full back in the German team typically is responsible for many things besides his so called defensive responsibility and Lahm gave this position more importance with his all round creative brand of football. He is considered to be one of the greatest defensive midfielders or full backs in the football history thanks to his sharp gamemaking ability, football sense, keen eye for the ball and great passing. This small (a little non-German in stature, isn't it?) man deep in the German defense plays an instrumental role in shaping the game. He is praised for his great pace, superb dribbling skills, often decisive passes and precise tackles. If this world cup sees a great German revival this man of impressive talent and football skill will have a great role to play.
His frequent comparison with the legendary Dutch football striker Marco Van Basten never seemed superfluous considering the similar playing style and scoring ability. With unstoppable scoring streaks for his club in last few seasons he has groomed himself as one of the most versatile strikers in the world. In the qualifying round of the European chapter of FIFA World Cup 2014 he has been the top scorer with 11 goals and if this devastating form continues he can be the greatest Dutch threat for most contending opponents. If one striker from all of Europe is to be chosen for consistent performance in both club and national level in the current year it is none other than Robin Van Persie. He is a great dribbler, set piece specialist and an unbeatable scorer against any formidable defense - reason enough to be dubbed as the center of Dutch hope in this world cup.
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