Top 10 Breakout Players of the World Cup
Every World Cup there are those guys who take the occasion to really announce themselves to the globe. Maybe they were hot prospects going into it, maybe they were completely unfancied. But after a month plying with and against the best that football has to offer on the grandest stage, it soon becomes clear that these are names to remember. These are the guys that’ll be all over transfer gossip columns as the big clubs start begging them for their services. To help you through your World Cup Hangover, we’ve worked out a list of 10 guys destined for long and celebrated careers after using Brazil 2014 as their launching pad. Beginning with the most obvious candidate…
James Rodriguez
100/1 odds at the start of the tournament to be the top goal scorer, yet here we are. No player made a bigger impact than James (which as we all know now, is pronounced “Haa-mess”). With Colombian talisman Falcao out injured, it was thought that maybe their dark horse candidacy went with him, but there was an even greater star awaiting in the wings to take flight. That’s a wild mix of metaphors, sorry, it’s just that we’re running out of ways to describe this lad. He’s a finisher and a provider for others too. He can score the boring ones and the sublime ones. Skill on the ball, dribbling, crossing, passing, vision – he’s got basically everything you can ask for in a creative winger. His goal against Uruguay will rightly be remembered as the best of the tournament by many, though his silky finish against Japan was equally sumptuous. Rodriguez is only a year removed from a £30m transfer to Monaco in the French league (the same club as Falcao), having moved from Porto. It’ll be a shock if they can hold off the interests of Real Madrid now, especially if they offer them a double on their initial investment. James Rodriguez is the number one breakout player of Brazil 2014.
Paul Pogba
Here’s a guy who had some big expectations on his shoulders, despite his young age. The French midfielder had been a star prospect for Manchester United, but upset at his lack of chances in the first team, he fell out with Fergie and ended up playing for Juventus. At the age of 21, he’s already had a couple of superb seasons for Juve, and he sure carried that form into the World Cup. Anchoring the midfield for a surprisingly good French team, Pogba was everywhere. He has a bit of a young Patrick Viera about him, with his long strides, but Pogba is a true goal scorer too. His long shots didn’t get the chance to shine but he still popped up for a headed goal in the win over Nigeria. Having been crowned the Young Player of the Tournament in Brazil, speculation is that Juventus may be hard pressed to keep him, though it looks now like he’ll be hanging around in Turin for a season or two yet.
Mario Götze
Scoring the winning goal in the World Cup Final will definitely buy you some brownie points. Even if he were to never play another game, Mario Götze will still be a German legend. Luckily though, the 22 year old seems primed for a long and illustrious career. There’s no big money transfer on the cards for this lad, he’s been a highly rated future star for a while now and having risen through the ranks at the ever impressive Borussia Dortmund, he signed for Bayern Munich in 2013 for £27m – the second highest ever transfer fee for a German after Mesut Özil. He had some great moments and some frustrating ones in his first year with the reigning Bundesliga champs, often playing a bench role as he struggled to break into a stacked midfield. But it’ll take a brave man to overlook the most popular man in Germany now.
Enner Valencia
The Ecuadorian go-to man up front. He bagged three headed goals in his nation’s three games, earning a whole lot of admirers in the process. Not the least of which was Sam Allardyce, whose West Ham have just signed the lanky forward for a £12m fee. They see him as a great match for the powerful Andy Carroll, and we agree. The 25 year old scored every goal for his country in Brazil, and previously played for Mexican club Pachuca. He can jump about thirty feet off the ground, and is full of pace. As a young player, he was actually used more as a wing-back or a winger, and just to make his story a little more wondrous, he’s overcome a background of poverty get here. To go from that to a starting, starring striker for his national team at the World Cup is quite the success story. Luckily we’ll get to see a whole lot more of him for the Hammers in the future.
Stefan De Vrij
In a Dutch side seemingly bereft of talent (aside from the attacking trio of RVP/Robben/Sneijder), they found success in a mixture of youth, trustable experience and tactical genius. 22 year old De Vrij falls in the first category, and he was consistently one of their very best players throughout the Cup. Anchoring the Dutch backline, he was always well positioned, and was one of the better distributors of the ball from the defence. And despite only having played 12 internationals beforehand, Louis Van Gaal would pick De Vrij in all 7 games that the Netherlands played – with young Stefan even adding a goal against Spain. He’s currently playing for Feyenoord in the Dutch league, though a transfer is definitely on the cards now. Lazio were the preferred suitors, but a reunion with LVG at Manchester United has started to pick up steam in the gossip columns recently.
Mats Hummels
25 year old Mats Hummels has been around for a little while, commanding the back for Borussia Dortmund as they’ve soared up the Bundesliga. His composed performances at the heart of the champion German defence were immaculate, and he even managed a couple of goals! (One for every shot he had on target). There’s no question that he’ll be the heart of the German backline for the next decade, the only issue is whether he continues to ply his impressive trade at Dortmund, the club he’s played for since 2008 (after rising through the ranks at Bayern Munich) or whether a big money move overseas is pending. Manchester United are said to be interested. Perhaps even his former club?
Xherdan Shaqiri
The scorer of the second and final hat-trick at Brazil 2014. Shaqiri’s treble was a thing of beauty, with great goals and clever finishes abound. It was the 50th ever hat-trick in the World Cup, and a valuable moment in the spotlight for a young player who has struggled to make an impact at Bayern Munich since signing in 2012 from FC Basel. With Robert Lewandowski joining Bayern this upcoming season, the chances for Shaqiri to impress seemed slim, so the World Cup was massive for the 22 year old and he didn’t disappoint. He’s only 5 foot 6, but he possesses wonderful vision and is a born finisher with a lethal left foot. Liverpool were keen to bring him to Anfield, though recent reports say Shaqiri has agreed personal terms with Roma in Italy. With regular football coming his way, there are hopes that Shaqiri could develop into a true world beater.
DeAndre Yedlin
This 20 year old American right-back probably slid in under the radar for a lot of people. Not so after an impressive campaign, full of pace and skill and composure beyond his years. Currently on the books at the Seattle Sounders in the MLS, he’s heavily favoured for a move to Europe now. He didn’t get a whole lot of opportunities at the World Cup, but when he played he was electric, getting forward in support and making those overlapping runs. Some defensive mistakes, but he’s still very young, and a super exciting player for the future. Yedlin has expressed his love and support for the Sounders, but the list of European clubs rumoured to be interested in him just keeps on growing.
Ricardo Rodriguez
A strong athletic fullback with a creative spark? That’s what Wolfsburg are trying hard to hang onto in 21 year old Swiss player Ricardo Rodriguez. The son of a Spanish father and Chilean mother, Rodriguez was born and raised in Switzerland, and rose sharply through their youth systems to make his senior debut as a 19 year old. The long-haired lefty was a star for Switzerland throughout their campaign in Brazil, defending solidly and even setting up a couple of goals in the crucial opening win over Ecuador. He’s one of the most highly regarded young players in a difficult position going around, and his club are batting back interest from the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid, among others. At the moment they are busy trying to renegotiate his contract in a bid to get him to hang around for a while longer, having been one of the best performing fullbacks in the Bundesliga in 2013/14.
Juan Cuadrado
You probably remember him as the other Colombian winger. The guy with the semi-dreads. Well, while James Rodriguez was hogging the headlines, it was Cuadrado setting him up, with 4 assists for the tournament – tied for first place with Toni Kroos. At 26, Cuadrado’s no stranger to world football, gaining some fame for his post-goal celebration dances (in full bloom at Brazil 2014). After his efforts for his nation though, he may have finally proved that he belongs amongst the best creative midfielders in the world. His club Fiorentina are apparently fielding offers from ‘half of Europe’, not the least of which being Barcelona and the various powerhouses of England.
