Canary magic
PHIlIPPE COUTINHO (BRAZIl)
AGE: 25 years; ClUB: Barcelona (Spanish Primera Division)
ClUB STATS FOR THE 2017-18 SEASON
GOAlS: 15
ASSISTS: 8
APPEARANCES: 27
INTERNATIONAl — CONMEBOl WORlD CUP QUAlIFIERS
GOAlS: 4
ASSISTS: 2
APPEARANCES: 13
PASSING ACCURACY: 85%
PASSES PER 90 MINUTES: 46.82
With the distinctive Brazilian magic on his feet, which this season he has sprinkled partly at Merseyside and partly by the Mediterranean shore of Catalonia, the 25-year old Coutinho now sets his eyes on football's biggest event in Russia. He can break through defences — ball on feet — with blistering pace that almost mimics lightning, weave circles around defenders, wrong-footing most of them, find a teammate even across complex rival formations and — as a cherry on top — sned sweet letters of love to the backof the net from both long and short range efforts. A shimmy of the hip, a momentary drop of the shoulder, a sublime turn and before you know it, the ball has already begun its graceful sojourn through the air to send ripples through the net — a picture that might become all too familiar this year in Russia.
The illusionist
Andres Iniesta (SPAIN) :
AGE: 34 years; ClUB: Barcelona (Spanish Primera Division)
INTERNATIONAl — UEFA WORlD CUP QUAlIFIERS
ASSISTS: 2
APPEARANCES: 6
PASS ACCURACY: 91%
CROSS ACCURACY: 75%
WORlD CUP HIGHlIGHTS
2010 World cup winner with spain where he scored the DECISIVE goal in extra time OF THE FINAl against the Netherlands
First and foremost, Iniesta is timeless, and although the illusionist has cast his final spell at the Spanish top division to seek milder adventures in China, he still remains the first to be mentioned when the discourse is on the best midfielders who are bound to Russia this summer. This World Cup is going to be the swansong for the Spanish magician, and as long as he dons the colours of la Roja on Russian soil, most players will simply have to play second fiddle to his prowess. Just like he united all of Spain with the decisive goal in the World Cup final 8 years ago, Iniesta connects and pulls the strings of the Spanish formation on the pitch and shows up precisely when he needs to.
FINEST OF FINE
kevin de bruyne (belgium)
AGE: 26 years; Club: Manchester City (English Premier league)
ClUB STATS FOR THE SEASON 2017-18
GOAlS: 12
ASSISTS: 18
APPEARANCES: 52
INTERNATIONAl — UEFA WORlD
CUP QUAlIFIERS
ASSISTS: 3
PASS ACCURACY: 84%
APPEARANCES: 7
WORlD CUP 2014 —
GOAlS: 1; ASSISTS: 2; APPEARACES: 4
REACHED QUARTERFINAlS WITH BElGIUM
The 26-year old Belgian is gifted with immense technique on the ball, an eye for defence-piercing ball-distribution and world class ability to send a ball rocketing from long ranges to unsettle even the most steadfast of goalkeepers. Under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, de Bruyne seems to have unleashed his full potential this season, and Belgium — who have enough ammunition on their offensive front in the form of Eden Hazard and Romelu lukaku — can surely use some of that intensity to cast an impressive spell in Russia. With his machine gun-like shooting power and an X-Ray vision that sees through burly defences, de Bruyne will be seen racking goals and chiming assists for his teammates in Russia.
Pace setter
toni kroos (germany):
AGE: 28 years; ClUB: Real Madrid (Spanish Primera Division)
ClUB STATS FOR THE 2017-18 SEASON
GOAlS: 5
ASSISTS: 8
APPEARANCES: 40
INTERNATIONAl —UEFA WORlD CUP QUAlIFIERS
GOAlS: 1
ASSISTS: 1
APPEARANCES: 7; PASS ACCURACY: 94%
WORlD CUP 2014
WORlD CUP WINNER WITH GERMANY
GOAlS: 2, ASSISTS: 4, APPEARANCES: 7
“Perhaps, the archetype of the modern attacking midfielder." Such were the words of British writer Jonathan Wilson when he gave an account of Toni Kroos, and the statement typifies the general opinion that surrounds the German, who played a crucial role in Die Mannschaft's World Cup winning campaign four years ago in Brazil. Kroos has certainly proved himself as a master of all trades with the diverse roles he offers to his side. These include those of a central, deep-lying playmaker, and even those of a defensive midfielder which he readily serves on the platter owing to his high ball-retention quality and his ability to break up play. With a piercing vision Kroos can find a teammate in an optimal position to score, and the 28-year-old German is also likely to find the back of the net himself if the opponent is careless enough to allow a loose ball stroll to his feet by the edge of the penalty box.
Flying Frenchman
paul pogba (france):
Age: 25 years; ClUB: Manchester United (English Premier league)
ClUB STATS FOR THE 2017-18 SEASON
GOAlS: 6
ASSISTS: 12
APPEARANCES: 36
INTERNATIONAl —UEFA WORlD CUP QUAlIFIERS
GOAlS: 2
ASSISTS: 0
APPEARANCES: 7
WORlD CUP 2014: GOAlS: 1 ASSIST: 1 APPEARANCES: 5; REACHED QUARTERFINAlS WITH FRANCE
Much of the general opinion on the Frenchman who plays for Manchester United is divided, but there remains little doubt that Paul Pogba is bound to deliver crucial contributions to les Bleus' run at the
World Cup. The 25-year old is quite the playmaker a side needs and can also display glimpses of a lethal goal scorer if and when needed. On the defensive front, the midfielder, who can usually be seen playing a central role, can also provide his services both as a holding midfielder and an attacking midfielder with a good ability to retain ball possession for his side and excelling in the art of winning aerial duels along with the bravado it requires to venture forward and break the rivals' defensive formations — something that can come in handy for Deschamps’ side that will have an in-form Antoine Greizmann up front waiting with unrestrained anticipation to combine and connect with any ball driven forward through the opponents’ defences.