Ones to Watch: The most exciting player from each country at the World Cup
Brazil – Neymar
Neymar’s pre-tournament preparation has only exemplified his importance to the Brazil national team.
Out injured for the best part of three months, for much of the back end of the season it looked as if the PSG man would be stricken by a setback a second World Cup in a row.
He is returning, however, and sublime goals against Croatia and Austria underline his readiness for a defining competition.
Brazil have the pressure of going into the World Cup as favourites.
The heartbreak of 2014, where both Neymar and Thiago Silva were sidelined for their semi-final crushing, has left the country yearning international vengeance.
Neymar will want to be a vital part of that.
His sleek skill and clinical nature blend to make one of the world’s best. And in a group containing Switzerland, Serbia and Costa Rica, surely the winger will scorch to the fore and illuminate this tournament.
Switzerland – Xherdan Shaqiri
Relegated from the Premier League this season, Shaqiri will be keen to mend his Stoke woes.
Shaqiri is a leading light for both the Potters and Switzerland. While his impact wasn’t enough to keep Stoke in the top flight, he painted arguably one of the moments of 2016 with a flying overhead kick on a similar level to Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo in this year’s Champions League.
His athleticism and strength more than make up for the height he lacks, and a lethal creativity forges one of Switzerland’s significant men for this World Cup.
Shaqiri has a cutting edge rare to find. Flashes of brilliance could be the difference between Switzerland qualifying or not, and the Stoke winger is more than likely to be the one to provide them.
Costa Rica – Keylor Navas
Keylor Navas joins David de Gea in the exclusive, and short, list of goalkeepers amongst the most exciting players to watch out for this summer.
Costa Rica stunned the planet when they emerged as one of 2014’s romantic success stories.
Only penalties denied them from reaching the semi-finals, however they are back to try and shock the world once more.
Navas, Real Madrid’s first choice stopper for upwards of two seasons, has aged superbly and is slowly becoming one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
To hold a place down for Madrid is an achievement only Iker Casillas has managed in recent years. He faces negligible competition for the number 1 shirt in Russia, and shields Costa Rica’s defence impressively.
Serbia – Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has received plenty of attention from the Premier League in recent transfer windows. For good reason too.
His vibrancy for the Italians, who narrowly missed out on a Champions League spot in agonising circumstances, has never gone unnoticed and Serbia should hope he produces similar.
Potentially one of the underdogs of the tournament, Serbia are returning to World Cup action for the first time since 2010. That was their first major competition after becoming independent.
Alongside Aleksandar Mitrovic, Aleksandar Kolarov and Dusan Tadic – all notable Serbian names – Milinkovic-Savic can be the catalyst he was for Lazio.