#3 Alexander Iwobi (Nigeria)
Age: 22 International Caps: 15 Goals: 4
Being the nephew of legendary footballer Jay-Jay Okocha, it is understandable that the entire nation of Nigeria pins its hopes on Arsenal's Alex Iwobi. Interestingly, Iwobi represented the Three Lions of England at all youth levels before opting to play for Nigeria's senior team. At just 22, Iwobi has a mature head on young shoulders. He has played extremely well in the World Cup qualifiers and would hope to carry the momentum to Russia.
He will need it desperately too, as the Super Eagles face a daunting task of qualifying from a group which houses nations like Croatia, Iceland, and Argentina. While one can expect Argentina to make it through, the battle for the other spot is bound to be fierce as all the other three teams are equally matched. In such a situation, players like Alex Iwobi will be expected to make a difference in tight matches. If he succeeds in doing so, he will have a good chance of becoming the first African to be tagged the Best Young Player in a World Cup.