Christian Eriksen

In 2017 he scored nine goals from nine games for Denmark. A very impressive feat for an attacking midfielder. He’s Denmark’s most important and dangerous player by far. In recent seasons, Eriksen has played his club football for Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League but rumour has it that Barcelona are after the Danish wizard.

He has excellent vision and a remarkable range of passing. He rarely loses the ball and he’s able to hit it into next week. He’s scored some cracking goals from outside the box especially from dead balls. With murmurs about how Adidas’ latest ball moves, Russia might be the perfect place for him to make his mark on the world stage.

The only things that might hold him back are all his recent off field distractions. Barcelona is a dream come true for nearly every player in world football. Being able to lace up the boots in the Camp Nou with Messi, Suarez and co must be playing on the Dane’s mind. Added to the transfer speculation was the birth of his son during the lead up to the competition. He missed his nation’s friendly against Sweden to be by his partner’s side.  

Kylian Mbappe

The French team is an embarrassment of riches. Inexperience may be the only thing holding them back. That, and Didier Deschamps not yet settling on his best XI. Kylian Mbappe personifies all of this. He’s very young but extraordinarily talented. He has pace, precision and sublime skills.

Over the past two seasons, Mbappe has become the man to watch in French football. He was instrumental in Monaco’s surprise 2016/17 Ligue 1 win. His subsequent loan to Paris Saint Germain has put him in the upper echelons of world football. If PSG were to buy him outright, the rumoured fee would make him the second most expensive player in history, behind only Neymar.

World Cups can be where young stars step up or fade away. With his talent, he’s unlikely to fade away any time soon, which could spell disaster for his opponents at this tournament. Only Deschamps, and his inexperience, might hold him back. At only 19 he still has a lot of football ahead of him and the French manager might decide to introduce him to this World Cup gently.

Tom Rogic

Celtic FC have absolutely dominated the Scottish Premier League for years.  Rogic has been able to flourish in this environment over the last few seasons. There have often been questions about his fitness and stamina. He’s a liability in a hard pressing defensive unit but, on his day, he can turn the best defenders in the world inside out. His touch and ability to glide past defenders is a joy to behold. He’s become a fan favourite in Glasgow for his quick feet and superb goals.

However, it’s outside of Scotland where he needs to show his ability. He’s shown glimpses of his talent in the UEFA Champions League but glimpses weren’t enough with his team constantly outmatched. Will it be a similar situation in the World Cup with Australia? The Socceroos will need to get the most out of those moments of brilliance and hope they can handle the extra defensive workload.