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The exhilarating one month journey of the World Cup 2018 is nearing the end and we have witnessed some of the best players gracing the pitch through Russia. We have seen beautiful goals scored by some of the best players and we have seen some performances worth awarding the Golden Ball to the best player of the tournament.
5. Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe is only 19 years old but he tends to play like he is 29 years old. The immense talent of his was already predicted during his time with French Ligue 1 club AS Monaco two years ago. And coming into the World Cup after securing his second Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint Germain, he was already touted as one of the players to shine in the World Cup. Already a World Cup semi-finalist in an already budding career, now he is set to become just the third teenager ever to feature in a World Cup final and the first in 36 years when France take on Croatia in the final.
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The 19-year-old player has played a crucial role in France’s run to the final of this World Cup, establishing himself to the world as the next superstar of world football with some exciting displays. Scoring three goals in the tournament so far, he was the best player on the pitch during their dismantling of Argentina. The mazy fast runs into the opposition or the variety of skill set on show, Mbappe showed the world that he is there to be the next big star
4. Harry Kane
Harry Kane will surely come home empty-handed from the World Cup, but it is very likely that he will come home with the golden boot as the tournament’s top scorer. It meant heartbreak for England, but this World Cup became the stage for Harry Kane to finally stamp his foot on the path to becoming the world-class star that he is. He has already conquered the Premier League with successive golden boots in two previous seasons, and now he is showing on the biggest stage of them all that he is a force to be reckoned with.
With six goals for England during the whole tournament, he has become the go-to player for England whenever they needed a goal. A perfect poacher, Harry Kane seems to be on the right place at the right time when appearing to get the ball. And his goals during their win against Tunisia showed how good of a goal getter he can be. While half of his total goals scored were from the penalty kicks, it is also worth mentioning that his penalty is arguably the deadliest penalty in the world. Only time will tell how much of a potential World Class level player he is going to become, and right now he is one of the best strikers of the world.
3. N’golo Kante
The World Cup final is uncharted territory for the entire players of the finalist’s France and Croatia. And for N’golo Kante, it will be almost a very different surrounding as to the one he is familiar with, the Premier League. Probably, he won’t be so much fazed by it because he has no obvious weaknesses and his strengths include astonishing speed and incredible stamina. There is no doubt in the fact that Kante has been France’s most influential player at the World Cup, but he remains easily overlooked, particularly when his teammates generate more publicity.
The midfielder has been unstoppable during the whole tournament. He has been everywhere on the pitch running, tackling or intercepting a pass from an opponent. Kante might be one of the smallest players on the pitch (5 feet 6 inches), but he has always raised his game against all big players. He has not scored a single goal in the tournament but his all round game is clearly the best in the world. Kante has recovered the ball more times than any other player in his team (52) and outpassed his collegues (308 passes), as well as covering more distance than anybody. Without Kante France would not surely have reached the World Cup final. And if France go on to win the World Cup, he must be the golden ball winner for France.
2. Eden Hazard
There were multiple moments of brilliance by Eden hazard during the whole tournament in Russia. The surging runs against the Brazilian defense or powerful dribble with the ball against the French defender Benjamin Pavard. He was, to put it simply, superb during the whole tournament. Taking on defenders with ease and going inside to shoot or assist, the Belgian captain has been doing it all in this World Cup. During their semi-final defeat against France, he was the only Belgian player who looked likely to threaten the French defence with his every touch. He surely is the perfect heir to the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly, and finally he had the biggest stage in the world to show it.
Although he scored only two goals the whole tournament so far, he also contributed another two Belgium goals with his assists. In the match against Brazil, Eden Hazard completed all ten of his take ons, the highest number with a 100% success rate since 1966. Moreover, he followed a tactical plan by the manager to a brilliant effect. He devastated all the full-backs that he played against. Hazard is probably the natural heir to Ronaldo at Real Madrid. Nonetheless. Eden Hazard is a brilliantly skillful, powerful and effective footballer. It is simple as that.
1. Luka Modric
Luka Modric is up there with the very best of all time. The brilliant fleet-footed midfielder is surely taking the golden ball home. Right from the first match till the semi-final against England, he has been ever present in the Croatian midfield. Running forward to score or assist a goal or coming back to help his defenders, he has done it all during the whole tournament. Modric was instrumental in all of the matches in which he played in this World Cup. The ability to start dribbling towards the opposition goal with so much ease makes him a treat to watch. And now he is leading his team to their first ever World Cup final.
He has played all six of Croatia’s World Cup games leading to the final. He has covered the most distance by any player in this World Cup with 63 km. That is a hard-working ethic most players in the world lack. With 10 attempts on goal and two goals scored from midfield, he already has three man of the match award in a total of six matches. He completed 368 out of 443 passes and recovered 30 balls for his team. This is a sign of a potential World Cup winner. A classic player nobody hates. He is the best player of the tournament. He is the golden ball winner.
