With the big frenzy of the World Cup on the horizon, there’s so much to look forward to in the world of football over the coming few months. The focus falls on the players who could make ‘the difference’ in football’s showpiece event. World Cups still remain the dream destination for any kid on the blocks with a football at his feet, and this time around there would be a fair few who could stake their claims to silence crowds and carry nations. SportzWiki brings to you part two of the top five players to look for in the upcoming Brazil World Cup.
Read our part one here
- Luis Muriel (Colombia)
‘The Colombian Ronaldo’ is what he is known as in most parts of Italy and his home nation Colombia, and he would do the World Cup record goalscorer proud if he could replicate even a fraction of the great Brazilian’s feats for Colombia. Now 23, young Muriel combines strength with style, and with Colombia’s greatest hope Falcao currently down in his crutches, Muriel would have to shoulder more responsibility than he ever expected. He could well be one of the stars of the tournament if he performs to his enormous potential.
- Kevin Volland (Germany)
The 21-year-old German striker has had a mixed season for Bundesliga mid-table hoverers Hoffenheim. With the starlet being the only recognized striker alongside the ageless Miroslav Klose in Germany’s squad, Volland has every chance to have game time in the ensuing World Cup. His inexperience could be a deterrent, but with teammates like Klose around, things couldn’t get much easier. Volland is a certainty on Germany’s flight to Brazil, only that he needs to utilize this launchpad to perfection.
- Antoine Griezmann (France)
The impressive Griezmann has impressed all and sundry over the years with his electric performances for Basque club Real Sociedad. Only recently did he get his much sought after call-up to the national team fold, and with manager Didier Deschamps ready to get him his boarding pass to Brazil, things couldn’t have got any better for the wing-wizard. Griezmann helped La Real to the Champions League group stages last season, and could prove to be the X-factor that France lack in tight games. Alarm bells for Ribery? I bet, yes.
- Romelu Lukaku (Belgium)
The World Cups have always been a stage for that unheralded nobody to find their way into the hoopla of the limelight, and RomeluLukaku could be a case in point in this regard. The man-mountain of a striker who has an incredible mix of power, pace and guile, Lukaku could be the star of the show for Belgium at the World Cup. With his number one rival for the lone spot up front Christian Benteke out injured, Lukaku has the perfect chance to finally show what he’s worth after a scintillating season on-loan at Everton.
- Ciro Immobile (Italy)
Far from being a certainty, Ciro Immobile could be a valuable asset to CesarePrandelli’s Italy as they look to finally return to the summit after coming tantalizingly close in Euro 2012. Immobile has had an extraordinary season with Torino, leading the Serie A scoring charts and making his case in the absence of Giuseppe Rossi. Italy will be well-served with a regular goalscorer like Immobile as the injury-prone Rossi and the enigmatic-but-inconsistent Mario Balotelli often fire blanks.