KEEPING AN EYE ON THE CHAMPIONS
Six soccer favourites in the line-up, here are some snippets of statistics to read about them
SOCCER’S biggest spectacle, the quadrennial men’s World Cup, kicks off in Russia on Thursday. As part of the lead-up, here is a look at the players you need to watch – some familiar to even the most casual fan, some potential break-out stars.
LIONEL MESSI,ARGENTINA
The Argentine maestro does not need a World Cup trophy to validate his greatness. The goals, assists, La Liga titles, Champions League crowns, records, awards and breathtaking highlights are ample evidence of his epic impact on the sport over 13 years.
Nonetheless, there is a missing piece to his incredible body of work: a major championship for his country. The 2005 Under-20 World Cup and 2008 Olympics (U-23s) were age-restrictive competitions.
The two tournaments that matter most are the World Cup and Copa America, which decides South America’s best.
The World Cup has left him with two quarter-final exits and a 2014 championship defeat settled in extra time. Copa America has offered three runners-up medals (two on penalty-kick tiebreakers) and a quarter-final setback.
And so as he turns 31 this month in what is probably his last World Cup, Messi finds himself in a situation not unlike another legendary figure, Lebron James.
Pele won three World Cups. Diego Maradona won one. Is it Messi’s time? CRISTIANO RONALDO, PORTUGAL
If Messi is the best player in the world, Ronaldo, 33, is barely a step behind. Soccer fans of the modern era don’t realise how good they have it watching two of the greatest in history perform weekly – and several times each season against one another in Spain.
While Messi mesmerises with speed of foot and thought, performing skills with elegance and efficiency, the bigger and stronger Ronaldo obliterates defenders with a combination of cunning and power. He is also a master in the air.
He has won the Champions League title in four of the past five seasons with Real Madrid and received Fifa IFA’S top individual honour four of the past five years. Since joining the Spanish titan in 2009, Ronaldo has averaged about a goal per game.
NEYMAR, BRAZIL
In 2014, Brazil’s hopes of winning the championship at home all but ended when Neymar fractured a vertebra in the quarter finals.
(Honestly, even with him, Brazil probably wouldn’t have avoided semi-final elimination against Germany.)
This summer, his right foot is in focus.
He has sufficiently healed from a fracture suffered in February while performing for Paris Saint-germain. But without any competitive matches until the World Cup tuneups, Neymar will need to find his fitness and form in a hurry. MOHAMED SALAH, EGYPT
The best players in the world come from Europe and South America, occasionally West Africa. They certainly don’t come from North Africa. Until now.
In his first campaign with Liverpool, Salah set the Premier League’s single-season scoring record with 32 goals. He had 12 in non-league competitions for a total of 44 in 52 appearances – an astounding rate for someone who didn’t play much at Chelsea in 2013-15 and was a modest scorer at Roma.
He was also instrumental in Liverpool’s unexpected charge through the Champions League. DAVID DE GEA, SPAIN
Goalkeepers tend to peak older than outfield players. At 27, he is just getting started, but is already at an exceptional level.
EDEN HAZARD, BELGIUM
With his tight footwork, rapid acceleration and panoramic vision, the winger’s style has drawn comparisons to Messi’s. Granted, Hazard is not as ruthless, but when he tears into open space or takes on defenders, he raises anticipation like few others in the game.
In the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign, Hazard scored six goals in eight appearances. ANTOINE GRIEZMANN, FRANCE While most of the world stars arrive at the World Cup from famous clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United, Griezmann comes from an organisation rich in tradition but lighter in aura. Atletico Madrid has been a wonderful platform for the leftfooted attacker, who has averaged 20 goals over four seasons since arriving from Real Sociedad.
JAMES RODRIGUEZ, COLOMBIA
In 2014, the Colombian attacker won both the Golden Boot with six goals (plus two assists) and the hearts of Brazilians when the emotions of a quarter-final defeat to the hosts were too much to control. Rodriguez had played with joy and zest – traits appreciated by audiences on site and around the world.
THOMAS MUELLER, GERMANY Although his scoring totals at Bayern Munich have plummeted the past two seasons, the hybrid attacker cannot be ignored in major international events.
Mueller is not technically or physically imposing; he simply knows how to pocket goals. He scored five times at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and five more four years ago in Brazil, including a hat trick against Portugal. His total (in 13 matches) ties him for eighth on the all-time list.
GABRIEL JESUS, BRAZIL
Looking for a break-out star? We suggest this 21-year-old striker from Premier League champion Manchester City. Four years ago, he was painting World Cup themes in the streets of his favela in São Paulo. Today, Jardim Peri residents have honoured him with a 34m-tall mural depicting his goal celebration. In his second season in England, he scored 13 goals in 29 league appearances and four in nine Champions League matches. – The Washington Post