FIFA World Cup 2018: 5 young stars poised to break out at Russia

#1 Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Serbia)

Serbia will need Milinkovic-Savic (white) to step up and lead their World Cup run

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.

Mexico v Russia: Group A - FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017