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#4 N'golo Kante (France)
Just as he did for Leicester City and Chelsea in the Premier League, N'golo Kante proved to be the unsung hero for France. Safeguarding the back four and unlocking Paul Pogba, Kante provided the perfect platform for France's counter-attacking football to flourish.
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Making close to 50 ball recoveries in the tournament, Kante was a force to reckon with. Deschamps' strategy to hit teams on the counter proved to be successful due to Kante's presence in the middle. Be it breaking up play or cutting passing lines for the opponents, Kante often gave the impression of being the world's best defensive midfielder.
His performance against Belgium deserves a special mention. Kante not only stopped the service from getting to Romelu Lukaku, he cut down channels for Kevin De Bruyne and stopped Eden Hazard's darting runs when he cut inside from the left. No other French player deserves the World Cup medal more than this ever-smiling Duracell bunny.
