Is this the Team of the Tournament at the 2014 FIFA World Cup?

With the Confederations Cup well and truly underway, the tournament is not just a dress rehearsal to see how well Brazil’s newly-constructed stadia cope with the pressures of international football of the highest level and the multitudes of fans that come to watch them play.

It is also an opportunity for teams to discover and then build upon the chemistry they display on the pitch in what can be best described as a preview into what needs to be done next year in the same country in order to clinch world football’s biggest accolade.

Although the tournament has only seen a handful of games, it leaves little to the imagination regarding who would feature in a Team of the Tournament at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer, Germany

Few can contest the inclusion of the talented German in this team. He was Germany’s number one much before he swept to the treble with Bayern Munich and it is his razor-sharp reflexes and astute positioning that have seen Germany occupy second place in the FIFA World Rankings.

Right-back: Daniel Alves, Brazil

As adept at raiding forward as he is defending, Barcelona man Daniel Alves is the perfect archetype of the modern-day attacking footballer. Seen in his country as the natural successor to the legendary Cafu, the 30-year-old has showcased the very qualities that make him on the best in his position in the world during the Confederations Cup and next year’s World Cup could be the last one he features in.

Centre-back: Dante, Brazil

The second Brazilian to feature on this list does so with good merit. He was the unsung hero in Bayern’s treble triumph along with Javi Martinez, and he has the next year or so to build on his excellent performances for both club and country and to oust one of David Luiz or Thiago Silva from the centre-back berth.

Centre-back: Jan Vertonghen, Belgium

Tottenham Centre back is one of the new wave of Belgian players that have taken the world by storm and was named in the English Premier League’s Team of the Year. With a calmness and authority that belies his slight stature and youth, Vertonghen is excellent at marshalling the back four for both club and country and with the ability to find the back of the net with deadly precision and power from free kicks, will be one to watch as the Diables Rouges qualify for their first World Cup since 2002.

Left-back: Philip Lahm, Germany

It just has to be him. There are few better than Lahm when it comes to picking someone for the role of left-back (where he plays for his country) and while he is a very skilled defender, he is also blessed with the leadership capabilities that have seen him don the armband for both club and country. Few people in the world of football can claim to show the amount of industry and commitment he does.

Defensive midfielder: Marouane Fellaini, Belgium

And then there were two. After years of top-class performances with Everton in the Premier League, the time has come for Fellaini to showcase his talents on the world’s biggest stage, and few can be bigger than on the world’s stage in global football’s most successful nation. Opposition players in England find him a handful to deal with whether he is going forward in attack or shielding his back four, and it will be interesting to see whether this translates into results when the chips are down.

Defensive midfielder: Javi Martinez, Spain

Given the international successes that Spain have enjoyed on the world stage, it seems rather odd that none of the above six players are Spanish. Javi Martinez’s presence here is well and truly merited. It’s taken him time to get noticed because of the rather unfancied role he plays but his excellent form and the rewards that have followed them mean he is a welcome selection headache for any coach. Brazil 2014 could be the stage where he bursts onto the international scene.

Attacking midfielder: Andres Iniesta, Spain

With Xavi showing no signs of slowing down despite ageing, it might be the Barcelona maestro’s last World Cup outing with the Roja and those boots can be very capably filled by Iniesta, who plays a game which almost mirror’s the 33-year-old style of play. With questions marks over who will fill in the boots of the legendary number eight, Iniesta has silenced several of his critics and will surely silence the few that remain as he continues his natural progression towards being playmaker-in-chief for Spain.

Winger: Cristiano Ronaldo, Portgual

You knew this was coming, and why not? A class above most of his Portugal team mates, while Ronaldo might have had the extremely rare off-day with his club(s), that has never been the case when playing in maroon. Whenever his country has needed him, he has answered the call and it will be no different as he showcases the talents that Brazilians value so highly as Portugal hope to build on their excellent showing at Euro 2012.

Winger: Neymar, Brazil

What, you expected Lionel Messi? Argentina haven’t done too well at international tournaments of late and that is why he is not in here. Instead, it is a man who has set the world alight with the talent he is displaying at the Confederations Cup. While he might not have the same style of play as the legendary Ronaldo, he is the Fenomeno’s natural successor and his arrival could signal the start of big things to come for the five-time world champions again.

Striker: Mario Balotelli, Italy

Another front man who has grabbed the headlines for his top-notch performances that have shown maturity (yes, maturity), the Italian seems to have grown up since his return to Italy with AC Milan and he will be expected to lead the line for Italy next year. If his performances in an Italy shirt this time around are anything to go by, he will have surely added to his growing list of admirers next year.

Substitutes:

Iker Casillas, Mats Hummels, Franck Ribery, Lionel Messi, Sami Khedira, Andrea Pirlo, Pablo Zabaleta