World Cup 2018: 10 Unforgettable Moments of Brilliance

This World Cup has proved to be one of the most fascinating and intriguing in recent history. We've seen it all: upsets, comebacks, stoppage-time winners, own-goals, decisions overruled by VAR, shocking theatrics and simulation, legends in the stands and the stars on the fields.

The games have been played at a good pace and teams have contested for every inch of the pitch. In a team sport, everyone needs to be working in unison and doing their part to ensure that their side has the best possible chance of succeeding.

However, every now and then, a moment of true inspiration or an act of sheer brilliance can make the difference. One man, seemingly possessed, can go on to do something that not only affects the game but also history.

We take a look at 10 moments from Russia 2018 when one man's abilities transcended the tremendously high levels that the competition is being played at:

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#10 Denis Cheryshev's first touch for his first goal against Saudi Arabia

The finish was stunning but what preceded it was sheer brilliance.

Russia have been a revelation in the 2018 World Cup. Whether it had anything to do with them hosting the competition itself is a matter of speculation, but the performance of the players is not. At the heart of their miraculous quest for glory was a man who has failed to reach his true potential until now - Denis Cheryshev.

After a professional career that failed to materialize with bleak spells at Real Madrid and a couple of other Spanish sides, Cheryshev has truly attained cult status with the Russian National team.

He embarked upon an incredible goal-scoring journey in Russia 2018, as he leathered the ball into the back of the net, in at the near post, but it was the touch to dink the ball over two sliding defenders to create the space that we couldn't get past.

A second touch to get away from the third defender and a third to finish. An absolute stunner from the Russian to get, what has turned into, the most fascinating World Cup in recent history up and running!

#9 Denis Cheryshev's second goal against Saudi Arabia

Cheryshev with the audacious!

It's a double-header upfront on this list from the Russian man who has already surpassed all his achievements in his football career, with his antics at the World Cup which his country is hosting.

He could've very well had his third goal - an absolute rocket following a combination of delightful inter-play against Spain - also feature on the list, but we went with the audacious outside of the foot curler, in the opener against Saudi Arabia, instead. A memorable night for Russia but particularly for Cheryshev who scored two of his greatest ever goals in front of a packed home crowd.

Doesn't get much better, does it?

#8 Lionel Messi's first and second touch for the goal against Nigeria

Leo! Leo! Leo!

The only moment of magic from the GOAT came against Nigeria in a do-or-die encounter in the final game of the Group Stage. Argentina had been dismantled by Croatia in the previous fixture after they'de been held by Iceland in the opener. They needed their talisman goal-scorer, and he delivered.

A largely disjointed-looking Argentina side was finding it incredibly difficult to break down the African opposition. An immaculate ball over the top of the defence by Ever Banega allowed Messi to do what he'd been dying to do for his country in Russia - score.

But make no mistake about it, there was still an awful lot left to do. Messi killed the ball on his left thigh but still had to contend with Kenneth Omeruo's pace who has 7 years on the Argentine. With the most delightful dab of that magical left foot, before the ball could touch the ground, Leo made a couple of yards on the defender but it forced him wide onto his weaker right foot.

Weaker? Yeah, right!

#7 Ricardo Quaresma's spectacular 'Tirvela' against Iran

Quaresma with the outside of the boot finish, from outside of the box.

The winger is one of the most paradoxical players in modern football. Utterly devastating one moment and unbelievably non-existant in the other. For all his undeniable talent, it is his inability to reproduce that talent on a consistent basis that has resulted in him being shoved into oblivion.

We have seen some scintillating magic from Quaresma, but he came up with something even more special to open the scoring for Portugal against Iran.

The first half was petering out and he looked irritable at how little of the ball he had seen so far and decided to take matters into his own hands when he did finally receive it. He exchanged passes with Adrien Silva on the edge of the box on the right and decided to curl the ball with his outside of the boot first-time, past the keeper in goal, into the top-left corner. A magnificent trivela from a sensational talent.

Pity, we haven't seen an awful lot of that from him in his career.

#6 Takashi Inui's tracer bullet against Belgium

Acquiring range...

Japan were so close to history, a 2-0 lead against Belgium in the quarterfinals of the World Cup with just 20 odd minutes left on the clock. They could almost reach out and touch glory. A rapid response from Belgium in the form of goals from Jen Vertonghen and Marouane Fellaini restored parity before Nacer Chadli finished off a break to win the game with the last kick of the game.

However, Japan's pinnacle moment in their footballing history - the goal that put them 2 goals up against the Europeans - was a thing of beauty from Takashi Inui. The Asian received the ball 30 yards out, with no options in front of him. He was faced with 6 men in red and a gigantic Thibaut Courtois in the Belgian goal.

He was too far out to try and curl the ball into the far post, so he thumped it with the most astonishing accuracy to create a goal out of absolutely nothing.

Audacious effort, unerring accuracy.

#5 Toni Kroos 95th minute winner against Sweden

Kroos imparted some serious curl on the ball to down Sweden

The holding World Cup Champions have had a World Cup to forget in 2018 after failing to make it past the Group Stage for the first time in their history. Similarly, Toni Kroos would probably want to erase his memories from Russia after failing to conquer the midfield for Germany in their despicable run in the competition.

Although, there might be one that he'll probably want to keep. It came in their only win in the competition, against Sweden. Both teams were locked at a goal each and 90+5 minutes had been played. Germany had a free-kick on the right-hand side of the opposition penalty area.

The angle was too acute to go for goal, surely. Someone forgot to tell Toni Kroos that.

The Real Madrid man rolled the ball to Marco Rues who touched it back for Kroos to whip it into the top corner. The German managed to conjure up some deadly whip on the ball to curl it back inside the far post with the last kick of the game. Inch perfect.

#4 Hugo Lloris' save against Uruguay

Tremendous save from the Tottenham 'keeper to keep France ahead

Goalkeepers are often only afforded the limelight for their blunders, while they go about their thankless task of keeping their side in the game. Not only is the criticism levelled at the men with gloves disproportionate, they are often not given due credit for the vital saves they make - altering the course of the match.

Hugo Lloris put up the picture above on his Instagram handle to remind himself and the world of the beauty of a well-timed dive at full-stretch to prevent the opposition from levelling the scores in the World Cup quarter-finals and thus ensuring France's progression into the semi-finals. If Uruguay had levelled it up, we would've ended up seeing a very different game.

The importance of the moment aside, the save was worthy of a spot on the list just because of the brilliance of the act itself.

#3 James Rodriguez's mind-bending assist for Cuadrado against Poland

What vision by the Colombian to find Cuadrado!

The Golden Boot winner in Brazil may not have been as effective in front of goal in Russia as the previous edition, but he did light up Kazan Stadium with a moment of creative genius to pick out Juan Cuadrado for Colombia's second goal against Poland in the Group Stage.

Surrounded by three defenders near the touchline and nowhere to go, the Bayern Munich man wrapped his foot around the ball to play the most delicious ball in behind the defence for Cuadrado to run on to. How the playmaker saw his teammate's run, and then found the perfect spin and weight on the pass for the winger to take into his stride, is beyond us.

Rodriguez found Cuadrado; who found the back of the net, emphatically. But it was the genius and vision of the Number 10 that will stick with us for some time to come - the assist of the tournament.

#2 Benjamin Pavard's astonishing hit against Argentina

Pavard's debut goal for France was one to remember.

Argentina had managed to overturne France's lead from the first half in the quarterfinal to go 2-1 up in the second half. France were on their way out if they didn't manage to do something quickly. For the host of talented players in their side, it was the right-back, Benjamin Pavard, who came up with a moment of magic to level the scores before Les blues raced away from Argentina to go through to the semifinals of the World Cup.

Lucas Hernandez delivered a hopeful ball in from the left-hand side of the opposition penalty area which evaded everyone in the centre and bounced out to Benjamin Pavard on the edge of the box on the opposite flank.

The full-back let the ball come across his body and then cut through the ball with his right foot to slice and swerve the ball into the left-top corner. What a debut goal for the youngster and what a time to score it!

#1 Cristiano Ronaldo's free-kick against Spain

Portugal vs Spain at World Cup 2018

The moment of Russia 2018 has to be one of the best moments of Cristiano Ronaldo's glittering international career. The Portuguese has delivered so many times on so many occasions that we've gotten immune to his incredible heroics, but what he did against Spain in the Group Stage encounter made the world sit up and take notice. Again.

Just a couple of minutes left on the clock, Portugal are trailing 2-3 and Ronaldo's just won a clever free-kick off Gerard Pique about 25 yards from goal. He steps up to take. A couple of deep breaths and a look of determination on his face, Ronaldo elects to curl the ball with his instep instead of his trademark knuckleball technique and the ball curls around the wall and into the back of a flabbergasted David de Gea's net.

A moment of sheer brilliance from one of the greatest to have graced the beautiful game, on the biggest stage of them all.