World Cup 2018: 4 midfielders who excelled in Russia

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Luka Modric and the Croatian President

#3 De Bruyne

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Football: Belgium vs England at World Cup
KDB - genius!

De Bruyne was a silent performer for Belgium who didn't steal the spotlight from his captain Eden Hazard at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Having played the role of a defensive midfielder in the group stages, Martinez gave him freedom to play a more attacking role against Brazil in the quarter-finals.

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De Bruyne didn't disappoint Martinez by scoring his first goal of the tournament in that match and looked a completely different player in the False 9 role. Being the playmaker for Belgium, he was instrumental in Belgium's 3-2 comeback victory against Japan in the thrilling round of 16 match.

De Bruyne scored 1 goal and provided 2 assists in 6 games for Belgium. He completed 265 successful passes at a success rate of 53.6 percent and at an average of 55.5 passes per game. Having covered 40.63 miles in 540 minutes, De Bruyne had a passing accuracy of 72.2 percent in opposition's half and had 4 attempts on target from 13 shots.

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Despite De Bruyne's valiant efforts, Belgium lost to France in the semi-finals and had to settle for third after their victory against England.

De Bruyne through his performances has proved to the World that he is one of the best playmakers in the World right now.

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Edited by Anthony Akatugba Jr.
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