Historically it is seen that players who have performed consistently have a better chance to excel at the World cup. Consider the case of Spain who won the World Cup in 2010. The major crux of the team was from Barcelona and they had a fabulous season under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola. They carried the form to the World Cup and emerged victoriously.
Here are the top five players from the Premier League who can go on to win the prestigious Golden Ball award:
#5 Sergio Aguero(Argentina):
Kun Aguero has had a terrific season scoring 30 goals in all competitions. Along with Messi, he is one of the most important players for Argentina. When Argentina played friendlies without Aguero in March, they hardly looked threatening in their attacks. Sergio has an imposing style of play and his ball control along with his finishing abilities make him a dangerous player inside the box.
The 29-year-old striker has scored 36 goals for the national team. Recently, he scored his 100th goal at the Etihad Stadium for Manchester City and is also the all-time top scorer for the club with 199 goals.
In the last three tournaments that Aguero has played for the national team, they have ended as runners-up on each of the three occasions. Argentina would be banking on him to score goals and create chances so that they can finally break the jinx and win a major trophy.
#4 Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard is well-established as one of the stars of the Premier League and captains his national side. His second season at Chelsea was the most defining one as he finished as the club’s top scorer and won the club’s Player of the Year award, as well as the PFA Young Player of the Year award. In 2016/17, again he was named Chelsea Player of the Year as he inspired the team to another league title. During the current season, his form has dipped and he has just scored 12 goals.
Big events tend to get the best out of the footballers. With Hazard’s skill and his goal-scoring abilities, he can turnaround his average season into a best one by helping Belgium to challenge for the title.
The captain of the Belgium team has scored only 21 goals in 82 appearances. If he can step up his game, he has the potential to emerge as one of the top goal scorers in the World Cup. The 26-year-old will be a vital player for Belgium and if they do make a deep run in the FIFA World Cup expect him to run away with the Golden Ball.
#3 Romelu Lukaku:
Romelu Lukaku is a Belgian footballer who started his career in Premier League with Chelsea in 2011. The Belgium striker is known for his physical style of play and his ability to win aerial balls is unmatched. Lukaku teams up with Hazard at the front and they make a potent attacking pair.
The 24-year-old striker made his senior international debut for Belgium in 2010. He has played over 60 matches and is their all-time record goalscorer with 33 goals.
In the Premier League, he has several records to his name. He was the second highest scorer(only behind Harry Kane) with 25 goals and had his best season in the Premier League. Notably, he is one of only five players to have ever scored 50 Premier League goals before their 23rd birthday.
With such stellar records, teams all over the world were eyeing him. Eventually, Manchester United managed to get his services for an exorbitant price of 75. In his first season at United, he has been in terrific form scoring 16 goals in the Premier League and five in the Champions League. Owing to such amazing performances he is definitely one of the best strikers in Europe and a contender for the Golden Ball.
#2 Kevin De Bruyne:
Kevin De Bruyne has been an instrumental figure helping Manchester City have a stellar season. He has consistently split defenses with his accurate passes and aided City’s strikers. His sound technique along with his calmness in pressure situations make him a treat to watch. With 15 assists, he has the highest number of assists in the Premier League.
He narrowly missed out on winning the PFA player of the year award. It was De Bruyne’s misfortune that midfield excellence tends to get left in the shade by record-breaking goal hauls.
In one of the interviews by Pep Guardiola, he had the following things to say about the Belgian star:
“He has achieved, this season, an extraordinary level. In terms of continuity, it is not just a good performance, it is every single game during three days. He is the guy who always runs the most and he is one of the more talented players we have in England in our team.”
With such praises coming from one of the world’s best manager, Kevin DeBruyne can claim his place amongst the best players in Europe.
#1 Mohammad Salah
Salah moved from Chelsea to Liverpool and in the process became the most expensive signing for Liverpool. A lot of football pundits and former Liverpool legends questioned the price tag and were apprehensive of the Egyptian’s abilities. He has put all that to rest with his nearly perfect season for Liverpool.
He has had a phenomenal run this year scoring 31 goals in the Premier League. Recently, the Egyptian footballer was awarded the prestigious PFA Footballer of the year award.
The season can be summarized by his performance in the semis against Roma. He was ruthless against the Italian side and scored two goals. He also had two assists in the game and has almost made sure that Liverpool reaches the finals of the Champions League.
A lot of managers around the world have drawn comparisons with Ronaldo and Messi. If he can help Egypt to a strong show in the World Cup, he will definitely be a strong contender for the Golden Ball.
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