The FIFA World Cup is just round the corner and more often than not, it’s the midfielders who decide how far their teams will progress in the tournament. There are quite a few examples, be it Pirlo in 2006, Iniesta in 2010 or James Rodriguez in 2014, when midfielders lit up the tournament with their display and set their teams on course.
We now take a look at 3 midfielders who are likely to set the stage on fire in 2018:
Paul Pogba (France) –
France go into the tournament as one of the favourites on paper. The squad looks to be one of the finest French teams in the recent past. Benzema, Rabiot, Martial are few of the players Deschamps has decided to leave out of the team. But all eyes will be on the enigmatic Paul Pogba. He has had a roller-coaster seasons, showing only sparks of the kind of talent he displayed at Juventus. One of the reasons behind it has been the way Mourinho has used the midfielder, playing him alongside Matic, thus burdening him with the defensive responsibilities. In the French side, he will be given the creative freedom and will have the likes of Tolisso and Kante to support him. In attack, he has the likes of Mbappe, Griezmann, Dembele, Lemar – depending on how Deschamps chooses to line-up. Pogba will have to be the torchbearer if France is to lift the World Cup. Former midfielder Robert Pires has already said that Pogba will have to be the leader of this generation and take more responsibility. His off-field antics often leaves the fans and experts enraged. But is Russia the place where the charismatic Pogba finally deliver on the field?
Casemiro (Brazil) –
Though all eyes will certainly be on Neymar in Brazil’s World Cup campaign, but considering the fact that he is coming back after a serious injury, he will require a complete effort if Brazil are to bury the ghosts of the 2014 campaign. Casemiro is not among the first player that comes to mind when one thinks of Brazilian flair, but the job he has done at Real Madrid in the defensive midfielder role is exactly what Brazil will require to protect a shaky defence. He can contribute with some important goals for his team as well. He will need to be on his A game if Brazil are to lift their 6th World Cup.
Toni Kroos (Germany) –
Toni Kroos remains one of the finest central midfielders in the world. He played a key role in Germany’s 2014 triumph and will be expected to shoulder the majority of the responsibility in the midfield. His pinpoint accuracy and vision are an envy of any player. He can shoot from distance and goes about doing his job in a quiet manner. He has won three consecutive Champions League titles with Real Madrid but if he manages to bring his A-game into the tournament, then you can be rest assured that Germany will seal back-to-back World Cup titles