4 players tipped to shine at the 2018 World Cup

The FIFA World Cup is arguably the most anticipated sporting event that happens once every four years. Every World Cup, new stars are created and numerous players put themselves out there on the biggest stage in football.

The likes of Egypt, Panama and Tunisia surprised quite a few in qualifying for the tournament. There are also teams such as Italy and Netherlands that have failed to even qualify for the tournament which definitely comes as a surprise to many football fans as these two nations not too long ago were regarded as Football superpowers.

This World Cup makes for very interesting viewing taking into account that football is in some sort of a blooming stage right now with the plethora of highly talented youngsters that are shining brightly at club level and are also tipped to perform well at the tournament.

In addition to this, teams like Belgium and Croatia that until a few years ago were not regarded as top football teams are tipped to perform extremely well this summer at Russia. African teams, Nigeria and Senegal, can also be viewed as dark horses for the tournament, with both teams boasting a number of star players in their respective squads.

Taking all this into perspective, this edition of the FIFA world cup 2018 definitely makes for attractive viewing.

There are several players that are tipped to perform very highly at the world cup. However, there are four players that are likely to shine the most at the World Cup.

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#1 Gabriel Jesus

The young forward from Brazil who plies his trade in the Premier League with champions Manchester City is definitely a player to watch out for in Russia. The Brazilian sensation is a serial goal scorer and has an outstanding strike rate for his club and country in his relatively short career.

He is extremely quick, possesses a lot of trickery, can shoot with both feet which caught the eye of Brazilian manager Tite who prefers Jesus over Liverpool striker Firmino to lead the line for Brazil at Russia.

Although Firmino is without a doubt a much better all-round player and has skills such as tackling, pressing and dribbling, Jesus fits the Brazilian playing style more than the Liverpool star man.

Jesus also holds a better strike rate which probably gives him the nod over Firmino. With Neymar and Coutinho on either side, the youngster couldn’t ask for better players to have upfront and will definitely have a lot of goal scoring chances coming his way. The striker has proven himself domestically with Manchester City; however performing well on the biggest stage of them all will definitely earn him more plaudits.

#2 Sadio Mane

Sadio Mane- A man in form

The Senegalese superstar will be making his first appearance at the World Cup and is definitely a player that is capable of helping his country progress far into the tournament. Mane is one of the star players for Liverpool and is part of a rampaging front three alongside Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

The trio managed to notch a grand total of 91 goals in all competitions last season which was the most by any attacking trio in Europe. Mane, who usually plays as a left winger, is extremely fast, strong and also has world-class dribbling and shooting abilities making him a huge asset to any team that he plays for.

In addition to his scoring abilities, Mane also provides numerous assists and has the ability to produce some slick passes for his teammates. Mane has the likes of Mame Biram Diouf and Diafro Sakho to accompany him upfront who are players that are more than capable of providing adequate support to the Senegalese star man.

With the likes of Koulibaly in defence and Kouyate at the centre of the park to accompany Senegal’s strike force, they may just prove to be dark horses in the tournament and are capable of causing a few upsets.

#3 Son Heung-Min

Son is hard to stop when in full flow

Son is a player who is criminally underrated and has only recently been given the credit that he deserves. He is an extremely versatile player who can play as an attacking midfielder, winger, false 9 or a striker. He plays for London club, Tottenham at the club level and is part of an exciting front line with the likes of Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane and Dele Alli.

Son has the ability to keep defenders busy, is reasonably quick and has also polished his finishing skills thereby making him a borderline world class player. South Korea does not possess a star-studded squad with Captain Ki Sung–Yeung being the only other notable player in the squad.

If they are to progress further into the tournament a lot of it will depend on Son’s performances. The Korean forward was in terrific form last season for Spurs and is definitely entering the World Cup with bags of confidence and enhanced abilities. Son also has developed the ability to shoot from range which is another asset that he has added to his game of late.

#4 Diego Costa

Diego Costa - A man on a mission

The former Chelsea man may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s no denying that Costa possesses bags of ability. The Spanish Striker who made the switch back to Atletico has been in fine form ever since the transfer.

Costa is exactly the kind of striker that defenders hate to face. He is an old-school centre-forward who is strong in the air, hard as nails and can bully even the toughest of defenders. Although Costa failed miserably at the previous World Cup, he definitely looks a more matured player and with the right players supporting him from midfield and out wide the striker is definitely capable of coming up with the goods.

Costa also enjoyed a terrific strike rate domestically over the last four seasons and has shown why he’s the man that should lead the line for Spain at Russia. If he can keep his temper in check, he will definitely be a force to be reckoned with in the summer.