Movin' On Up: Top 5 Rising Stars at the World Cup

The World Cup is a one of a kind sporting event, where nations sit on edge of their respective seats as their teams duke it out on the pitch for soccer supremacy. On July 13th, FIFA President Sepp Blatter will hand the Jules Rimet trophy to the winning team's captain, but that one nation will not be the only winner flying home from Brazil this July. Little known footballers from all corners of the globe will show off their skills over the next month, with new endorsements, new club contracts & moves to bigger clubs soon to follow. Some of them will go home even more rich & more famous than they are now!

So who are those little known footballers that are ready to show off their immense skill & take the leap to the next level? Here is my list of the Top 5 footballers who are ready to hit the big time!


#5

DAVID OSPINA (COLOMBIA)

Colombia's custodian will have to come up big for the South Americans to make it out of their group which features Ivory Coast, Greece & Japan. While the group may not seem all that difficult, it will be a very difficult group to navigate for Colombia since all the teams are quite equal in ability & also because Los Cafeteros will be without their lethal goal scorer (& holder of one of the 5 greatest names in sports) Radamel Falcao. Without Falcao in the line up & the expected drop in goal production, conceding less goals will be even more important for Colombia. That is why Ospina, who played in France for Nice this past season, will need to be on his A game.

Colombia has not played in the World Cup since 1998, so the pressure will be on. But in Ospina Colombia have the right keeper for the job as he plays an aggressive keeper with world class reflexes. If extra incentive is needed: Ospina is a free agent & looking for a new club after the World Cup. An impressive performance in Brazil will certainly help with that!

#4

JOEL CAMPBELL (COSTA RICA)

If scoring an impressive goal against Manchester United in the Champions League wasn't enough, 2014 could get even better for Costa Rica's Joel Campbell. Campbell, who is Arsenal FC player, but has never actually played a match for them, will be leading a largely untested Costa Rican side into Group D with Uruguay, England & Italy. If Campbell & his mates can make it out of that group, expect a Disney film based on them to follow! I wouldn't put my money on it though, as the likelihood of Costa Rica making it out of Group D is likely as David Moyes returning to Manchester United this season. Even though Costa Rica is expected to be at the bottom of Group D, the team is fully capable of shocking 1 of the 3 other teams in this group. If that is to happen, it will have to happen through Campbell as he can change a match with his speed & attacking prowess, particularly on the counter-attack. Warning to England's Gary Cahill: don't let Campbell get on his left foot or otherwise you could be featured on a lot of highlight packages!


#3

ANTOINE GREIZMANN (FRANCE)

The winger from Macon, France was not even a certainty to make the World Cup squad a couple of months ago. How things can change quickly! The Real Sociedad speedster has now been thrust into the spotlight & is expected to fill Franck Ribery's position on the right wing, as Ribery will sit out the World Cup with a back problem.

Filling in for Ribery will not be easy, as the Bayern Munich man placed 3rd in FIFA World Player of the Year voting, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo & Lionel Messi. Ribery, without a doubt, would have been one of the most skilled players in the World Cup. But Greizmann is no slouch either. The 23 year old has impressed with Real Sociedad since 2009, racking up 49 goals in 179 matches & possesses superb speed, dribbling skills & a mean left foot. It is rumoured that the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Liverpool & Manchester United are interested in signing Greizmann after the World Cup. For how much? That depends on his performance at the World Cup. Expect a high price.

#2

MIRALEM PJANIC (BOSNIA-HEREZGOVINA)

The 24 year old Roma midfielder is already one of the most versatile midfielders in Europe. A superb tactician with pinpoint passing and an eye for goal, Pjanic gives Bosnia-Herezgovina many options from midfield. Pjanic will serve as play maker for striker Edin Dzeko, who scored 16 goals for English Champions Manchester City this past season. Adding a superb play maker like Pjanic could improve Dzeko's game even more, especially against the likes of Nigeria & Iran.

Despite this being their 1st World Cup as an independent nation, Bosnia-Herezgovina have a solid & experienced line up anchored by Pjanic. But don't let the baby face fool you, Miralem has a pretty fierce mean streak as well. Want proof? Just look up his play & some of the tackles in a "friendly" against Toronto FC last summer. The man likes to win & if he can build a unique rapport with his teammate Dzeko, we may even see the debutantes go deep into the World Cup's knockout stages like Croatia did in 1998.

 

 

 

#1

JULIAN DRAXLER (GERMANY)

Don't let his boyish looks fool you. Despite looking like the German version of nerdy Hollywood actor Michael Cera, Julian Draxler is anything but innocent on the soccer pitch. Draxler possesses speed, excellent footwork, the ability to take defenders on & make them look foolish while doing so & an eye for goal. Having made over 100 appearances for his club team Schalke & 11 caps for Germany at the age of 20, Draxler is already an established talent in Europe at such a young age.

 

 

With winger Marco Reus injured in a friendly last week & subsequently being forced to sit out the World Cup because of it, Draxler is likely to see more playing time. With Real Madrid & Arsenal sniffing around Draxler earlier this year, the young German midfielder could be destined for bigger and better things very soon, particularly if Brazil 2014 turns into his coming out party!

 
Do you agree with this Top 5? Leave your comments below!