Only 10 more days to go until the biggest event in football begins and engulfs a month of our lives (a worthwhile one though wouldn’t you say?).
The World Cup is a stage not only for established players in football, but it’s also a stage where young rising stars can showcase their talents and become household names in years to come.
Here are the top 10 young stars to look out for at this year’s World Cup in South Africa:
Mesut Ozil (Germany)
Young, talented and highly ambitious, three words to describe Germany’s rising star Mesut Ozil.
Playing his football for Bundersliga side Werder Bremen, the 21-year-old has already established himself as one of, if not, the Germans main man for World Cup glory. Ozil put himself on the map when he was just 17, when the German attacking midfielder signed for Schalke 04 in 2005. In 2008 Ozil signed for Werder Bremen for an estimated £4.3 million and has since shined very brightly.
Ozil was playing his international football for the German U-21 team and was the key catalyst to his side winning the U-21 European Championships last summer.
Ozil will be taking a huge step playing for the senior national team, but with the talent he possesses the midfielder is sure to be a big hit for Germany and the tournament in whole. A definite one to watch this summer and clubs around Europe will no doubt be monitoring the German ace in South Africa.
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Alexis Sanchez (Chile)
Known as ‘El Nino Maravilla’ (the wonder boy) the Chilean is exactly that. The 21-year-old Udinese winger is blessed with explosive pace, bags of trickery and has a keen eye for goal. With all these attributes at his disposal, the Chilean poses a major threat for any full-back that comes up against him this summer.
Sanchez has already managed to make 28 appearances for his country and has netted 11 times along the way. Chile boasts a real star in the making, and a great tournament for the young winger/striker could spark interest from a number of clubs around Europe and in England. Watch out for him this summer in South Africa, he looks to be a potential star of the tournament.
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Simon Kjaer (Denmark)
At only 21 years of age, the Danish centre-back has already established himself as a first-team performer for Serie A side Palermo in under just 2 years. A lot of interest has been shown in the 6’ 2’’ defender in recent months and a buy out clause of £11 million will no doubt attract more attention this summer.
He is currently one of the most talked about defenders on the market, and his performances this season have no doubt credited such gossip. Kjaer is young, strong, quick and very assured when in possession of the ball (everything a defender must acquire to become a great one).
Although Kjaer is still very young, he is highly rated in Europe and is tipped to be a world-class centre-back in the near future. Look out for the solid defender this summer, he is sure to be a big hit this summer.
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See the next 4 stars on page 2
Victor Obinna (Nigeria)
The 23-year-old Inter Milan striker has agility, blistering pace and strength to accompany these. Obinna was on-loan this season with Primera Division side Malaga, where the young forward managed to bag 9 goals in 24 appearances (not bad at all). The Nigerian also has 24 caps to his name and 10 goals for his country as well. The highlight of his career is arguably when he captained his national team at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where he managed to pick up a silver medal.
The rapid striker may not start for Nigeria this summer, but he is bound to get a game somewhere along the way. Watch out for him and if he impresses there is no reason why clubs won’t be after him after the competition.
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Michael Bradley (USA)
Son of the US manager Bob, Michael is in the team on merit that’s for sure. Bradley is a huge fan favourite at Borussia Monchengladbach for his all out action midfield style. The midfielder loves to attack as well as break them up, and has great passing and ball control (England you have been warned). The young midfielder already has 42 caps and 7 goals for his country; he can only get better with time and the right guidance. Premier League clubs will no doubt be keeping tabs on his performances in South Africa this summer.
The 22-year-old poses a real threat in the middle of the park, and is sure to be one of the potential stars in this year’s World Cup.
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Angel Di Maria (Argentina)
Diego Maradona has tipped the left winger to be a worldwide superstar in the future, and all signs lead to Angel Di Maria being exactly that.
The Argentine has great skill, pace and bags of trickery and most importantly loves to run at defenders. The wide man loves to whip in deadly crosses and can bag a few goals as well. With this ability at his disposal, Di Maria has the potential to be a rising star of the tournament and football in general.
The Benfica man has only 8 caps and 1 goal for his country so far, but he is still very young at only 22 years old. Chelsea and Manchester United have shown interest in the past and will no doubt be monitoring his performances in South Africa. A very promising talent, and if a man like Diego Maradona says the player will be a worldwide superstar, then we should take his word for it.
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Gregory van der Wiel (Netherlands)
A more recent product of the famous Ajax academy, van der Wiel appears to be a talented young right-back for the future.
The Ajax no.2 is only 22 years old, but has already attracted the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal. The Dutch full-back loves to bomb down the flanks with his pace when possible and he can also defend (unlike some full-backs these days).
Van der Wiel possesses great speed, agility and movement which will cause the opposition some bother this summer. The right-back will surely be apart of the Dutch setup and with recent interest shown in him already; a good tournament could attract more clubs.
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Click here to see the last 3 rising stars
Sotiris Ninis (Greece)
The 20-year old Greek has great technique, ball control, vision and passing, and is Greece’s wonder boy for this year’s World Cup.
Ninis plays his club football for Panathinaikos and is highly rated in his homeland. The attacking midfielder is still very young but has extraordinary talent for such a tender age. Rather than score a goal, the midfielder loves to thread balls and plays a simple game (which is great to see).
Although, he only has 3 caps and only just the 1 goal for his country so far, he is bound to change this as time goes by. If the youngster can perform well this summer, then you can expect European clubs (including Premier League) looking to acquire his signature. Remember where you heard about this kid first, without question, he will be a star in the future.
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Marko Marin (Germany)
Marko Marin is the German Lionel Messi. The 21-year-old is highly rated in his country and has great ability for such a young age. The winger has great pace, bags of trickery and superb balance as well as ball control. You wouldn’t think he was a German player with all these attributes, but he is definitely something different and will be utilized well this summer.
Marin and Ozil will give the Germans a new dimension at this year’s World Cup. Both midfielders’ play for Werder Bremen, which means they will have a good understanding of one another’s approach on the pitch.
Marin has not yet attracted attention from clubs in the Premier League, but this can change in a hurry. A rising star for sure and could be the key to success for the Germans this summer in South Africa.
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Marek Hamsik (Slovakia)
Napoli’s attacking midfielder poses a major threat to the oppositions defence this summer. At only 22 years of age, Hamsik is Slovakia’s main man at the World Cup and will be heavily relied on to spearhead his country to World Cup glory
The Slovakian has a piercing eye for goal, superb technique and precise passing and is tipped to be a huge star in the future and in this summer’s World Cup. Premier League clubs will no doubt be sending scouts to South Africa to watch this young talented footballer.
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