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#3 Left Winger- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
It would be a crime if we don't include Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo in our line-up. He showed the world why he is known as the best player in the world by single-handedly rescuing Portugal from the jaws of defeat.
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The Real Madrid talisman gave Portugal the lead in the third minute after earning the penalty and converting it calmly with just three minutes into the clock. They say luck favors the brave, and Cristiano Ronaldo was in the right place to score a goal from a David de Gea blunder. Finally, he netted a stunning free-kick in the 88th-minute to score his hat-trick.
If it weren't for Ronaldo, Portugal would have gone home without any points. If Spain showed the world what a collective performance could do, Ronaldo proved that sometimes a single player is enough to create all the differences.
#2 Centre Forward- Diego Costa (Spain)
Making it next to our list is Spain's, Diego Costa. The Spaniard had one of the best performance in the Spanish shirt after a forgetful World Cup four years earlier.
The striker failed to create any magic in the opening 20 minutes of the game. But, once he had found the back of the net, he became revitalized. He would again equalize in the 55th-minute to keep Spain's hopes alive. The Spaniard didn't have a lot of touches but proved to be a menace whenever he had got the opportunity.
Analyzing the present Spain squad, there aren't any other lethal strikers in the squad. Rodrigo and Iago Aspas might have had a terrific La Liga season, but they lack the international experience which Diego Costa has. La Roja will be banking on him to ensure a fruitful World Cup.
#1 Right Winger- Dries Mertens (Belgium)
Like the right midfield position, there weren't many options available for us to pick players in the right wing position. So, the player who makes the cut is Belgium's, Dries Mertens.
Dries Mertens had failed to link with Hazard and Lukaku in the opening minutes but found his footing as the game progressed. He linked up well with Meunier in the second-half and scored an inch-perfect dipping valley in the 47th-minute to give Belgium the lead. The Napoli star even came close to scoring twice earlier, forcing a good save from Penedo and then hitting the side-netting.
The pundits are predicting Belgium for a semi-final finish and given their stalwart side, they can even achieve it. However, Mertens will have to pair-up more efficiently with Lukaku and Hazard to ensure so.
There you go; the Combined XI of Matchday 1 in FIFA World Cup 2018.
