World Cup 2018: 5 players who can outshine Cristiano Ronaldo in Russia

The 2018 FIFA World Cup is heating up as we watch our favorite players representing their respective nations in Russia.

The so much anticipated tournament has lived up to its billing, producing a lot of classic matches, magical moments and surprise packages as various footballing nations go head to head in their quest to claim the prestigious trophy.

As we all know that the World Cup is a privilege for footballers to display their amazing talents on a global stage, the competition has witnessed a lot of amazing superstars who have seized that opportunity to announce their names to the world in style.

Portuguese International, Cristiano Ronaldo has been the dominant figure in the tournament so far with his incredible performances for the European champions.

The Portuguese superstar has taken his game to a different height this term, tearing opposition defenses apart and justifying his tag as the best player in the world. The Real Madrid icon has scored 4 goals for Portugal in just 3 matches, including a fantastic hat-trick against Spain in their opening fixture.

It is also interesting to know that the winger has scored up to 80 percent of Portugal's goals in the tournament this year. With this level of performance, the 5 time Ballon d'Or winner is, without doubt the most influential player in the competition so far.

While all eyes are currently set on Ronaldo due to his incredible displays in the World Cup so far, it should be remembered that there are other superstars who have also been brilliant in the tournament as well.

With their impressive performances, these players have shown that they want to play the hero and not a second fiddle to anyone in the competition.

Therefore, let's take a look at 5 superstars who can challenge Cristiano Ronaldo's dominance at the World Cup.

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#5 Luka Modric (Croatia)

Luka Modric has displayed great leadership in the World Cup this year

Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric stepped into the World Cup in high spirits, after guiding Los Blancos to claim the UEFA Champions League for a third consecutive year. The playmaker took his incredible form along with him as he entered Russia producing excellent performances and leading his nation towards glory.

Modric impressed in his very first game, anchoring Croatia's midfield and putting up a great display. He inspired his nation to claim an important victory in their opening fixture, converting a fantastic penalty as they cruised to a 2-0 victory over African giants Nigeria.

The playmaker has been one of the liveliest midfielders in the tournament this year, scoring 2 goals in 2 appearances. More importantly, he has created a perfect atmosphere for his team to thrive, with his incredible leadership, teamwork, and amazing talents.

#4 Denis Cheryshev (Russia)

Cheryshev has taken his game to a new height in the World Cup this year

Before the World Cup began, many people were labeling Russia as one of the underdogs in the tournament. Some even went further to predict that Sbornaya would not get past the group stage.

But, after just 3 matches, everything has changed and the hosts are now considered a team that every nation must be wary of. They are one of the deadliest attacking teams in the tournament, bagging 8 goals in just 3 matches. Special thanks go to one man who scored a whopping 38 percent of those goals - Denis Cheryshev.

Cheryshev has been one of the brightest players in the World Cup so far, impressing in front of goal and defending the pride of his homeland.

The Villarreal attacker has taken his game to a new height, scoring 3 goals from 3 appearances in the tournament. With his impressive performances, the attacker could end up snatching the competition's highlights to himself in Russia.

#3 Diego Costa (Spain)

A fantastic brace against Portugal has earned Costa some attention in the tournament

Despite the number of world-class strikers in the World Cup this year, Atletico Madrid sharpshooter Diego Costa managed to announce himself on the big stage, with his incredible performances in front of goal.

It took him just 24 minutes to score his first goal of the tournament, firing a cool finish to beat Portugal's goalkeeper, Rui Patricio. He scored again in the 55th minute as Spain earned a 3-3 draw against the European champions.

His third goal in the tournament came up against Morocco as the striker scored the only goal of the match to secure the first victory for his nation in Russia. This implies that he has scored 3 goals in 3 matches in the World Cup, averaging a goal in every game.

With plenty of matches still left to be played, Costa could go a long way to become the superstar of the tournament.

#2. Romelu Lukaku (Belgium)

The Belgian has been deadly in front of goal.

The 2018 World Cup has witnessed a lot of incredible players who have set the competition on fire with their unbelievable performances. Manchester United striker, Romelu Lukaku is one of the amazing superstars who have dominated the competition in Russia so far.

Lukaku began his mission against Panama, putting up a great display and bagging a fantastic brace against the South Americans. He followed it up with another excellent performance as Belgium defeated Tunisia 5-2, scoring another brace to send the African side out of the tournament.

The Belgian has been deadly in front of goal, scoring 4 goals from two matches to place himself among the most prolific scorers in the World Cup this year. Playing ahead of creative players like Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, and Yarnick Carrasco, the striker could end up scoring plenty more goals and stealing the highlights of the tournament.

#1. Harry Kane (England)

Kane has a point to prove in his debut World Cup appearance

Tottenham Hotspur striker, Harry Kane was one of the brightest English players during qualifiers. The attacker put up excellent displays and helped his nation to secure a spot in the World Cup this year. After making it to Russia, Kane recently talked about his ambitions and stressed on his desire to match Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the tournament

He said:

“I had to prove people wrong throughout my career and I love proving to myself I can do it,”

“Ronaldo is the best in the world, up there with Messi, but the challenge is there to be with them.''

“I want to prove myself at a major tournament, I want to be up there with the best in the world and the only way to do that is to perform on the big stage and in the big moments.''

While aiming to match Messi and Ronaldo is always a big challenge for any footballer, Kane has proved that he can steal the highlights on the big stage with his impressive performances in the World Cup this year.

He became the second player to score a hat-trick in the tournament, achieving the feat in England's 6-1 victory against Panama recently. He has also helped The Three Lions to secure a spot in the knockout phase of the tournament and currently sits on top of the goalscoring chart, with 5 goals in just 2 matches.

Honorable Mentions: Philippe Coutinho, Eden Hazard, Luis Suarez, Mike Jedinak, Cristian Eriksen