World Cup 2018: Team of the round of 16

Midfielders

France v Argentina: Round of 16 - 2018 FIFA World Cup

N’Golo Kante (France)

It isn’t often that Kante has a bad game, and we are yet to see one from him at the World Cup. The amount of ground he covers in midfield is incredible, and the job he does for this French side allows their attacking talent to express themselves without the worry of being hit on the counter attack. He also seems to have helped in bringing out the best in Paul Pogba, which is crucial to France’s hopes of going all the way in Russia.

Ivan Rakitic (Croatia)

Croatia have a wealth of top players in midfield, and it was Ivan Rakitic who stood out from those players in their game with Denmark. It may not have been the most exciting game for the neutral, but Rakitic kept the ball well in midfield, and his partnership with Luka Modric in the middle of the park continues to look incredibly strong. Rakitic capped his performance by scoring the winning penalty in the shootout to send Croatia through.

Nacer Chadli (Belgium)

He may have only got half an hour on the pitch, but there is no underestimating the impact Chadli had for Belgium. He came on with his side 2-0 down, facing a shock elimination at the hands of Japan, but he changed the game.

His energy bought a different dimension to the way they played, and he gave the Japanese defence something different to think about. He also popped up in the final minute to score and send them into the quarter finals.