The 2018 World Cup will be blessed with talented prospects, so here are the top five Under 23 players going into the tournament.
It may be the end of the domestic calendar, but that doesn’t mean the football is ending. The next World Cup is nearly upon us, with Russia being the lucky nation to host it this time around. Naturally, the hype is starting to build up around the tournament with 32 nations harbouring hopes of World Cup glory. Only one team can come away victorious, though, and etch their name in history.
There are a number of star players gracing in the World Cup who will be hoping to lead their team to glory. However, they are well-known, so let’s focus on the youngsters who could have a breakthrough tournament after impressing with their clubs in recent seasons. Without further ado, here are the five players in order of when their respective teams will first play at the tournament…
Kylian Mbappe
The 19-year-old is remarkably talented for his age as well as having maturity beyond his years. He has the potential to be one of the top players in the world based on his range of technical and tactical attributes as well as tactical intelligence. His blind side runs and rapid acceleration means he is a constant threat in behind, but he is also adept at linking up with teammates in the final third.
Last summer saw him make a high-profile 145 million euros move to PSG from fellow Ligue 1 side Monaco. His first season was a success as he helped the team to the domestic treble, but they were only able to make the Round of Sixteen in the Champions League. Real Madrid proved to be too much for them with the Parisian team having huge structural issues.
In the league, he scored 13 goals and provided eight assists in 2097 minutes. Ligue 1 doesn’t have the best reputation in comparison to the other top European leagues. Therefore, the Champions League is a better indicator even if there’s a small sample size. He scored four goals and assisted three in 658 minutes. His start with the national team has been just as impressive with three goals and six assists in 856 minutes.
Mbappe’s versatility means he could start all along the forward line for France. Didier Deschamps has a plethora of attacking options to choose from, which makes their attacking set-up hard to predict. Having Antoine Griezmann in the centre with Ousmane Dembele on the right and Mbappe on the left seems to be the best option, though.