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Now that the confetti has finished raining down in Moscow and an outstanding World Cup has come to an end, it's time to take one final look back at Russia 2018 and crown our award-winners, including the tournament's best player. We were all spoiled with football at its finest over the past month, and there was no lack of excitement or drama in what was a truly compelling FIFA World Cup 2018. There was star power galore at the onset of the tournament, most notably, the two men that have been the best players on the planet for over a decade now in Argentina's Lionel Messi and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo. Brazil's Neymar was fit and ready for the tournament after a serious injury in January and many had him pegged as the golden boy that would lead Brazil back to glory when this competition first kicked off.
While the global superstars were in full-force, it was a whole other batch of stars that immerged throughout this World Cup. Argentina were an utter disappointment, barely scraping through the group stage before being thoroughly out-played in their defeat to France in a Round of 16 match that wasn't nearly as close as the 4-3 scoreline would suggest. Germany was even more of a disappointment and failed to progress out of the group stage for the first time, providing one of the early shock story-lines of the tournament.
Cristiano Ronaldo announced himself immediately when he scored a hat-trick for Portugal in their 3-3 draw with Spain in their opening match on the tournament's second day. He was the difference in their second group stage match against Morocco with his goal in the 4' being the only tally in the 1-0 victory. While Ronaldo's star shined bright throughout the group stage, Portugal were undone by a more balanced Uruguay side in the Round of 16 and the world's two greatest players were both out of the tournament before the Quarter-finals. Ronaldo none-the-less finished tied for second in goals scored for the tournament with 4 and deserves his mention in the group of best players in the tournament.
Neymar, and the constant drama surrounding him, turned more comical than anything in the tournament, as he came out of the competition looking more like a drama queen than the savior of Brazil due to his flamboyant and over-the-top antics on the pitch that led to a countless number of memes and other hilarious depictions on the internet.
While Messi and Ronaldo were exiting the competition early, and Neymar was busy rolling around on the ground, several other players were stepping up and providing some truly outstanding performances. None announced his presence more than 19-year old breakout star Kylian Mbappe of France. He was the difference in France's Round of 16 victory over Argentina and his run past everyone up the right side early in the match was a thing of beauty - truly a moment to behold. He didn't stop there, as he caused problems the entire match and announced himself to the World in the biggest of moments. His two goals put the cap on the 4-3 victory that sent Messi and co. packing. He utterly dominated the match and put the whole world on notice that there is a new star in world football.
While France's Mbappe was certainly the tournament's breakout star, there were several other players that left their imprint on Russia 2018. Without further ado, it's time to finish up our coverage of the 2018 World Cup with our Awards picks, focusing on the best player of the tournament, best young player, and recapping the top goal scorers for the competition.
GOLDEN BALL (awarded to the tournament's best player)
NOMINEES:
Eden Hazard (Belgium) 3 Goals 2 Assists
The Belgium captain was instrumental in the Red Devils historic run through the competition. Belgium turned in their best-ever finish at a World Cup by taking home the bronze medal. While the 3rd place finish was a bit disappointing for a side that was aiming to raise the Trophy, it was a nice consolation prize none-the-less.
Hazard was one of the key pieces to Belgium's vaunted counter-attack that caused major problems for the opposition throughout. His dribbling display, maneuvering and weaving through defenders up and down the pitch was mesmerizing at times. He was a constant force with the ball at his feet, and no one was better in this tournament at controlling the ball and creating opportunities on the attack. He leaves the competition with his stock at an all-time high after turning in an outstanding tournament.
Luka Modric (Croatia) 2 Goals 1 Assist
The Croatian captain was absolutely tremendous throughout the competition. The little mid-fielder might be small in stature, but his presence on the pitch was as large as any in this World Cup. He played more minutes and covered more ground than any other player in the competition, and it wasn't even close. He was the heart and soul behind Croatia's amazing run to the Final and pushed his team to victory through 3 consecutive knockout stage matches that all went to extra time.
It's still a mind-boggling feat that Croatia trailed in their Round of 16 match against Denmark, Quarter-finals match against Russia, and Semi-finals match with England, and were still able to battle back and win all three - 2 via penalty shootout. Modric's constant motor never approached empty, and his ability to continually control matches from the midfield, especially in the second half and extra time was crucial to Croatia's success and was truly something to watch. Modric deserves all of the high praise he's received after turning in a truly remarkable performance throughout the World Cup. He seemed to defy logic as 32-year olds usually aren't expected to play ever minute of every match, cover more ground than anyone else in the entire competition, and seemingly never tire after playing every minute of three consecutive extra-time matches.
Kylian Mbappe (France) 4 Goals 0 Assists
The 19-year old's breakout performance has already been mentioned, and there aren't enough superlatives out there to truly describe how good he was in this tournament. His speed, agility, and intelligence were on full-display, especially in the knockout stages. He became the second youngest player to ever score multiple goals in a single game in World Cup history joining the great Pele.
He also made history again when he became just the second teenager to ever score in a World Cup Final, joining Pele once again, who scored twice in the 1958 Final for Brazil. While Mbappe made history, it was clear that his presence had to be accounted for at all times. His ability to beat opposing defenses and cause constant problems in the front third was one of the narratives of this tournament, which made him the easy choice for the 'Best Young Player' award.
Harry Kane (England) 6 Goals 0 Assists
The Golden Boot winner, Kane led the tournament in scoring, finishing with 6 goals. His cool, calm, presence when it came to converting penalties was instrumental in England's success and surprising run to the semifinals. He was a beast in the group stage, accounting for both goals in England's 2-1 opening victroy over Tunisia, and then produced a hat-trick, including converting on two penalties in their 6-1 whipping of Panama in their second group stage match. His penalty against Columbia in the Round of 16 was incredibly well-executed, especially when considering how long he had to wait to take it.
While England ultimately weren't able to "bring it home", they were able to make the country proud and setup a seemingly bright future for the national team. Kane was the talented goal-scoring force up front that England has needed for quite sometime, but he was still very much dependent on the players surrounding him to help create scoring space. He seemed a bit exhausted toward the end of the competition as he was asked to do a lot for England in the middle throughout the tournament.
Antoine Griezmann (France) 4 Goals 2 Assists
Griezmann was 'Man of the Match' for the Final, and deservedly so as his ability to draw an early foul and subsequent free-kick seemed to change the trajectory of the championship match. He also delivered on his penalty kick later in the game, and went a perfect 3 for 3 on penalties in the tournament as a whole. It wasn't just Griezmann's ability to convert from the spot that made him so special in this tournament, as his ability from free kicks was apparent throughout.
The Silver Ball winner whipped dangerous crosses into the box throughout the competition for France, causing headaches for opposing defenses. His curling crosses from set pieces were the difference on the offensive end throughout the Cup. His ability to setup his teammates, convert on penalties, and generate scoring opportunities through beautifully struck set pieces were all determining factors in Les Bleus bringing home their second World Cup Trophy.
Romelu Lukaku (Belgium) 4 Goals 1 Assist
The Belgium big man turned in a truly great tournament up front for the Red Devils. His scoring prowess was on display throughout the competition, and his two goals in 6' against Panama in their opening match put away the Central American nation in the 3-0 victory that got Belgium out and running. He then put two more through in their 5-2 route of Tunisia, helping the Belgians top their group.
He continued to play well in the early knockout stages, with his beautiful, unselfish touch to Chadli setting up the winning goal at the very end of injury time as they completed the 3-2 comeback victory over Japan in the Round of 16. It was an incredible moment in the tournament, and a display of Lukaku at his finest.
He was disappointing against France in the semifinals as he wasn't able to generate anything up front and really never got-going. Despite the one bad showing, he was again a force in the 3rd place match, where he had several opportunities to add to his tally against England, and finished with an overall very good showing in the tournament.
Paul Pogba (France) 1 Goal 0 Assists
The 25-year old French superstar had a coming of age in this World Cup as he raised his level of play to another level as the competition wore on. Pogba didn't register a single assist or goal until the Final when he produced a terrific goal in the second half of the Championship match that would go on to prove to be the winner. He made his presence felt in a variety of other ways, however, as well.
The big 6'3" midfielder was outstanding on defense throughout the tournament, and some of the balls ahead that he produced were absolutely clinical and delivered perfectly. His touch on a long-ball up the pitch to Mbappe in the second half of the Final that started the whole sequence that ultimately led to his goal in the 59' will probably never get the praise that it truly deserves. It was just one of a countless number of moments where Pogba made his mark on this tournament that won't necessarily show up in box scores, but were detrimental to France's success. His defensive prowess and ability to act as a clog in the middle of the pitch, and then provide high-class passes to jump start an attack deservedly gets him a mention on this list. It was a truly remarkable tournament for Pogba and his transformation was on full display throughout.
Edinson Cavani (Uruguay) 3 Goals 0 Assists
When discussing the great performances and those who made their mark on this World Cup, Cavani's name has been absent for the most part, and I'm not entirely sure why. Yes, Uruguay bowed out in the Quarter-finals, maybe a tad too early for anyone to be considered as the tournament's best player, but Cavani certainly deserves a shout-out.
After starting the tournament a bit slow, unable to capitalize on any of his numerous opportunities in the first two group stage matches against Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Cavani finally got his goal in the 90' against Russia to cap off the group stage. He then appeared to be hitting his stride when he delivered an early goal and then the game-winner in the second half of their 2-1 defeat of Portugal in the Round of 16. He was a much bigger difference-maker than Ronaldo in the match, and just as it seemed like he was reaching his potential, went down with a hamstring injury as the second half wore-on, causing him to miss the Quarter-finals match with France. His absence certainly benefited the French in that matchup, and we will never know how that game would have played out if Cavani were fit enough to play, but one thing is for certain: Uruguay thoroughly missed him throughout the match and we all found out just how important he is to the success of La Celeste. Ultimately, he wasn't afforded enough opportunities to be the best player of this competition, but deserves a mention none-the-less.
WINNER:
Eden Hazard (Belgium)
While Modric took home the Golden Ball as the tournament's top player, our pick goes to Hazard who almost did as he pleased with the ball at his feet throughout this competition. Modric was completely deserving, and there is absolutely no issue with him winning the award, especially with all the ground he covered throughout, and his ability to lead Croatia all the way to the Final against constant odds. Hazard was just a touch better at creating scoring chances and converting on goal-scoring opportunities and was clearly the leader of Belgium's possession and counter-attacking ability. He was just so good with the ball that it was ultimately too difficult to pass him up for the award.
OUR LIST OF GOLDEN BALL FINALISTS: (in order)
Eden Hazard (Belgium) ☆
Luka Modric (Croatia)
Kylian Mbappe (France)
Harry Kane (England)
Antoine Griezmann (France)
Romelu Lukaku (Belgium)
Paul Pogba (France)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Edinson Cavani (Uruguay)
Other Awards:
GOLDEN BALL: Harry Kane (England) 6 Goals 0 Assists
SILVER BALL: Antoine Griezmann (France) 4 Goals 2 Assists
BRONZE BALL: Romelu Lukaku (Belgium) 4 Goals 1 Assist
GOLDEN GLOVE: Thibaut Courtois (Belgium) 3 Clean Sheets
BEST YOUNG PLAYER: Kylian Mbappe (France) 4 Goals 0 Assists
That concludes our coverage of the FIFA 2018 World Cup from Russia, it was a truly memorable tournament, one that won't soon be forgotten especially by the likes of France, Croatia, Belgium, and England in particular. Please share your thoughts on who you thought was the best player of the competition and on who you think will be teams to lookout for at Qatar in 4 years time.
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