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World Cup: Five overlooked under-23 players to look out for

By Benjamin Barkworth

BRAGA, PORTUGAL - MAY 28: Andre Silva of Portugal celebrates after scoring the first goal during the international friendly football match against Portugal and Tunisia at the Municipal stadium de Braga on May 28, 2018 in Braga, Portugal. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
BRAGA, PORTUGAL - MAY 28: Andre Silva of Portugal celebrates after scoring the first goal during the international friendly football match against Portugal and Tunisia at the Municipal stadium de Braga on May 28, 2018 in Braga, Portugal. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images) /
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BRAGA, PORTUGAL – MAY 28: Andre Silva of Portugal celebrates after scoring the first goal during the international friendly football match preparing for the World Cup against Portugal and Tunisia at the Municipal stadium de Braga on May 28, 2018 in Braga, Portugal. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
BRAGA, PORTUGAL – MAY 28: Andre Silva of Portugal celebrates after scoring the first goal during the international friendly football match preparing for the World Cup against Portugal and Tunisia at the Municipal stadium de Braga on May 28, 2018 in Braga, Portugal. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images) /

The World Cup has a history of showcasing talented players to the world, and this one is unlikely to be any different.

It’s nearly time for the most prestigious tournament in football, the World Cup. This is a time for reputations to be made and legends to be born.

There are a lot of talented youngsters coming into this tournament, but only a few are likely to have a major impact. Some will be anticipated more than others, so this article looks at individuals who aren’t attracting the most attention.

Here are five players who could come away from this World Cup with a burgeoning reputation…

Andre Silva

The Portuguese striker has been disappointing for AC Milan after being part of their spending spree last summer.

A lot was expected of him after an impressive season where he scored 20 goals and provided seven assists in the league and Champions League. He also looked sharp in the Confederations Cup as he contributed a goal and an assist in their third place finish.

Silva was signed for a fee of €38m which could rise to €40m. However, he has shown little with eight goals across all major competitions in 1742 minutes.

This has led to plenty of speculation about his future, especially with the potential Financial Fair Play sanctions that Milan are likely to suffer.

He is completely different with the Portuguese national team, though, because he has shown consistency since he was called up.

In 22 games, he has scored 12 goals with nine of them coming during World Cup qualifying. He will be the main goal scoring threat alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, with a strong midfield dedicated to providing service for them.

The 22-year-old is just as comfortable finishing with his head as his feet while also being able to associate with midfield and combine with another forward. He also benefits from Ronaldo taking the majority of the opposition attention.

This could be the tournament for him to make his mark on the world stage, and potentially secure another major move.

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