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The FIFA World Cup 2018 is the crucible where reputations are earned, legacies cemented and players placed into the pantheon of all-time greats.
James Rodriguez in 2014, Thomas Muller in 2010, Lukas Podolski in 2006 are but a few names who burst onto the scene with an exceptional World Cup and became household names at a young age.
This year’s World Cup promises to be no different, with a smattering of exciting, young talent sprinkled across the participating nations.
With league football winding down in leagues around the world, now is the perfect time to ramp up the build-up for this summer’s highly awaited tournament and in that vein, here is a look at five young stars, who are worth watching out for in Russia:
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#5 Giovani Lo Celso (Argentina)
When a player displaces an established name like Javier Pastore from the starting lineup and at the age of 21, it becomes clear that such a player possesses something special.
Lo Celso’s rise in the past 12 months at PSG has been meteoric. Signed for €10m from Rosario Central in 2016, he had a slow start to life at PSG, mustering only 82 minutes of league action in the first half of the season.
But injuries to first team players paved a way for him to get a starting spot, and it was an opportunity that he has grabbed with both hands.
He might not be the most muscular of players and stands at a mere 5’9’’, but he has excelled in a deep-lying (regista) role in PSG’s midfield.
He has made 17 appearances for PSG in Ligue 1 this season and has grabbed four goals and three assists.
These may not eye-popping numbers, but are impressive for a player in his position. His play is more characterised by the 90.2% pass completion and 1.2 tackles won per game; statistics which highlight a technically sound and solid pass-first player who performs a role every team desperately needs.
Lo Celso could end up being similarly important for Argentina at the World Cup. A lot has been spoken about regarding the wealth of options that the Albiceleste has in the attack, but their midfield has often failed to rise to the occasion.
He could well be the spark that brings together the entire unit and given that he has raised his profile considerably in the last few months, he is expected to be picked in Jorge Sampaoli’s 23-man squad and will be a vital cog in Argentina’s midfield.
#4 Hakim Ziyech (Morocco)
If ever there was a player poised for a break-out World Cup, it’s Ziyech. The oft-vilified Moroccan has had the best season of his career this year at Ajax and has been considered as the best player in the Eredivisie this year by a few.
With nine goals and 15 assists this season, the attacking midfielder definitely has the statistics to back up this claim.
Ziyech's performances this season have drawn comparisons with Christian Eriksen, who excelled for Ajax in a similar role before his move to Tottenham.
The Moroccan's silky smooth footwork, great balance and exceptional vision has made him a constant threat in the attacking third.
His footballing instincts, great sense of positioning, and on-field intellect have made many clubs sit up and take notice all over Europe.
Morocco’s draw provides Ziyech with the perfect opportunity to achieve a career-defining moment.
Drawn alongside a resurgent Spain and a Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal, not many will give the Atlas Lions a chance to progress, but stranger things have happened in football.
Whichever way the World Cup goes, expect Ziyech to be at the center of everything Morocco does this summer.
#3 Hirving Lozano (Mexico)
Perhaps the biggest driving force behind PSV Eindhoven’s title-winning season, 22-year-old Mexican starlet Hirving Lozano grabbed eyeballs across the globe with his stunning performances this season.
An attacker who can play in both wide areas or even as an auxiliary striker, Lozano’s 17 goals and eight assists in his very first season in the Eredivisie have been instrumental in helping PSV clinch the title.
There was a lot of hype surrounding Lozano as he came up through the ranks at Mexican club Pachuca.
After a long time, Mexico has produced a player with the kind of qualities that Lozano possesses. Pacy, agile, with a great dribbling ability and a very good crosser from the wings, Lozano has been an elite attacking force this season.
He loves to cut inside and unleash shots but, he has also proven to be a clinical finisher in and around the box.
His explosiveness and turn of pace make him a nightmare to keep up with for defenders while also allowing him to create the extra yard or so he needs to get a shot off or pick a pass.
Luis Suarez recently said that he sees Lozano as the perfect replacement for himself at Barcelona, and if Lozano continues to perform at the high level he has this season, a move to Barcelona in the near future could very well materialise.
Mexico will feel confident about progressing from their group alongside defending champions Germany and if last year’s inspiring FIFA Confederations Cup run is anything to go by, they could emerge as one of the dark horses of the competition.
They will be hoping that Lozano is the catalyst in their aim to banish the memory of their controversial exit in Brazil four years ago.
#2 Timo Werner (Germany)
For Germany, last year’s Confederations Cup in Russia was more of an opportunity to test their young bench strength rather than an actual rehearsal for the World Cup.
The youngsters did not disappoint, as Germany won the title with relative ease, but it was the emergence of several players, who will be vital in taking forward the next generation of German football, that will have excited the Germans more, one of whom, was their prolific striker, Timo Werner.
Currently plying his trade for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, Werner has developed a reputation as one of the top strikers in German football’s top division.
Last season he was the top scoring German with 21 goals in the Bundesliga and has continued his great form this season with 21 goals across all competitions in Germany and Europe.
Werner is an elite finisher who also uses his devastating pace on the break to affect opposition defences.
He plays like a true No. 9, always looking to occupy the opposition box, but he is also willing to drop deep and hold up the ball from time to time.
He is assured and composed in front of goal and has developed into a complete scorer in his time at Leipzig.
Germany starts this year’s tournament as the prohibitive favourites to win the crown once again.
If the last world cup signaled the end of the career of one of Germany’s most reputed strikers in Miroslav Klose, Germany will head to Russia led by a player in Werner who looks poised to take up the mantle.
World Cup winning teams have been defined by superstar strikers in the past, and Germany will be hoping that Werner is the one to lead them to glory once again.
#1 Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Serbia)
Every once in a while comes along a player who makes the world stop and watch; A player who stands out on the pitch and dominates the game with his technical ability and personality; a player with hardly any discernible weakness and a well-rounded game, and Milinkovic-Savic is one such player.
Nicknamed ‘The Sergeant’, his performances for Lazio this season have made him one of the hottest prospects in world football at the moment.
The Italian side was quick to snap up Milinkovic-Savic for 18 million back in 2015 after he impressed at Belgian club Genk as an 18-year-old.
Since moving to Italy, his game has grown in leaps and bounds, especially this season under manager Simone Inzaghi.
Standing at 6’4’’, he possesses the physical traits to be a highly successful central midfield player.
However, it's not his physical dominance that stands out; rather it is his supreme technical ability that sets him apart from the crowd.
He is equally adept at both the defensive side of the game and at attacking.
A strong tackler, he is averaging 1.6 tackles per game this season and serves as an effective disrupter in central midfield while also winning 2.8 aerial duels per game.
At the same time, he also has wonderful control at close quarters and an eye for goal that allows him to get forward and score.
He is blessed with incredible vision that extends to all ranges and makes his passing a treat to watch at times.
13 goals and six assists in all competitions is a fantastic return for a central midfield player, and his box to box playing style make him a truly unique player in world football at the moment.
A good showing at this world cup might very well make him the most wanted player in the summer transfer window.
Serbia has been paired alongside Brazil, one of the major contenders this year, along with Costa Rica and Switzerland, both of whom made it to the knock out stages last time around.
Serbia are going to be heavily reliant on their midfield general in Russia as they look to make a deep run in the tournament and all eyes are bound to be on Milinkovic-Savic to see whether he can deliver on the biggest stage in world football.
