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Top 10 Players In World Cup 2014
Lionel Messi - Argentina
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Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal
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The most recent winner of FIFA's Ballon d'Or for being the
best soccer player on the planet, Ronaldo has for now gotten the upper hand
over the “Who’s the best?” debate that has been raging over him and Lionel
Messi for the last several years. The Real Madrid star’s performance in the 2014
World Cup will go a long way towards quieting any remaining doubters, and
Portugal’s national team will desperately need his other-worldly play if they’re
going to stand a chance of making it out of this Cup's "Group of Death" that includes
Germany, the U.S., and Ghana.
Even though the Portuguese have never made it past the Group of 16 since Ronaldo has played with the national side, the team’s 29-year-old star and captain is confident -- as always -- saying after he finished building a museum to himself in his birthplace of Madeira: "I have room for more trophies."
Even though the Portuguese have never made it past the Group of 16 since Ronaldo has played with the national side, the team’s 29-year-old star and captain is confident -- as always -- saying after he finished building a museum to himself in his birthplace of Madeira: "I have room for more trophies."
Neymar - Brazil
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Brazilians
will not accept bowing out of the World Cup at
the quarterfinal stage like they have the last two World Cups when the
tournament arrives on their home soil this summer. If they hope to take
home
their sixth World Cup trophy, Barcelona
star Neymar’s slender frame will have to bear much of the burden. The
22-year-old, 5-foot-9-inch winger/forward may be
one of many stars on this young team, but none of them make anywhere
near the $20 million he does every year
between salary and endorsements. The biggest knock against Neymar may be
his size, but he has silenced many doubters after his move to Barcelona
last year
with lightning fast speed and acceleration, a top-class ability to
finish off
both feet, and the same doggedness on the pitch that his professional
teammate Lionel Messi is known for.
Andres Iniesta - Spain
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It
may be a fool's errand to pick a single player from the
defending champs, whose aging squad was arguably one of the best
all-time World
Cup teams in 2010. From Xavi Hernandez to Cesc Fabregas to Sergio Ramos,
Spain’s
deep roster has made them a favorite to repeat their South Africa
triumph in Brazil. However, much of their hopes this time around will
rest on the
29-year-old who scored the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final. The
midfield wizard has made the FIFA XI squad the last five years in a row;
even
fellow superstar Xavi called him "Spain's most complete player."
While he hasn’t
had the best season statistically for Barcelona, the midfielder who can see
passing lanes that no one else can has shown few signs of aging. For Spain to
win again, he better not start now.
Clint Dempsey - USA
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"Captain America" is no small part of the reason the rest of
the soccer world takes the U.S. men’s team seriously now. Last year, Dempsey gave
up a decent professional run in the English Premier League to play a little
closer to home for the Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer, where the 31-year-old is
consistently named among the league's best players. Some have fretted the move
stateside would hurt his overall ability,
but after completing a two-month loan to Fulham, he scored six goals in the
first four games of the 2014 MLS season. The native Texan’s world-class ability to finish near
the goal and score on crafty free kicks will be crucial if the Americans want to
survive the so-called "Group of Death" against Germany, Portugal and Ghana, and make it out of the round of 16.
Wayne Rooney - England
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The
nation that invented soccer hasn't won a World Cup since
1966, and they sure don't let their stars forget it. While Rooney may
not be England’s best player, the 28-year-old is still one of the faces
of soccer around the
world, promoted heavily by both Nike and FIFA. The starting forward for
the
English national team has been one of the best players on a fading
Manchester United
squad that was the toast of the world not that long ago. Despite his
continued
top-flight play as his professional team crumbles, England's soccer fans
fret continuously about whether Rooney and the England squad can make a
real
showing this time, after finishing 13th in South Africa in 2010. To
survive an incredibly difficult group stage with Italy, Costa Rica and
Uruguay, they're going to need his superlative ability to score goals,
as well as his greatly improved passing and never-say-die hustle when
the lights shine brightest.
Arjen Robben - The Netherlands
An
argument can be made that Robin van Persie is more
important to international powerhouse The Netherlands, but the "Oranje"
won't come
anywhere near replicating their 2010 final run without the continued
inspired
play of Robben. The 30-year-old winger has been on a tear for
professional club
Bayern Munich, where he's scored at least 55 goals since joining the
team in 2009, and was a crucial
reason they hoisted the Champions League trophy last year. He has shown a
penchant for performing his best on the biggest stages, so watch for
"The
Flying Dutchman" to earn his nickname in Brazil by sprinting down the
wing past
defenders.
Mario Balotelli - Italy
The enigmatic 23-year-old of Ghanaian heritage has done a lot of questionable things off the soccer pitch, but no one doubts his ability on it. Balotelli
can finish, pass and run with the best in the world, but has been maddeningly
inconsistent since his debut on the world stage. While Italy may have bowed out
at the group stage in 2010, it would not be wise to count out the four-time
World Cup champions, especially if the A.C. Milan striker brings his A-game.
He
hasn’t
shown great form in Serie A this year; this past February, Balotelli
was
spotted crying on the bench after being taken off the pitch late in a
loss to
Napoli. Whether that’s a sign of his passion for the game or his
immaturity is
anyone's guess, but fans of "Gli Azzurri" sure hope it's the former. The
Italians are going to need every bit of help they can get to survive
this a harsh group stage, where they'll square off against England,
Uruguay and Costa Rica.
Mesut Ozil - Germany
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The
German national team is among the few favorites to take
home the World Cup trophy in Brazil, and their star attacking midfielder
will
likely be the key to their success. Currently at Arsenal, the
25-year-old has
been compared, perhaps not unreasonably, to French soccer legend
Zinedine Zidane for his
finesse, precision and improvisational skills. Ozil suffered a
hamstring injury earlier this year, but has returned to club action and
will be looking to get back in form quickly. The Germans are in the
"Group of Death" with the U.S., Portgual, and
Ghana, but if Ozil is healthy and leading the charge, they should have
no
problems making a deep run in this World Cup.
Luis Suarez - Uruguay
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But there's another thing Suarez knows: how to score goals, and at that, he is undeniably skilled, netting an eye-popping 30 goals for Liverpool this season. Now he is leading a talented Uruguay team that finished fourth in 2010. And while Uruguay is in one of the toughest groups to start the tournament with England, Italy and Costa Rica, if Suarez can perform with even a fraction of the form he’s shown for Liverpool, it's the other three teams that may need to worry.
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