The World Cup 2018 is over, and it’s time to acknowledge the players who stood out the most in the quadrennial affair.
La Liga was well represented in the FIFA event, with 81 Spanish top-flight players named to their respective national teams for the World Cup. In fact, all La Liga teams have at least one player going to Russia—an unprecedented feat in the competition.
Even more remarkable, 11 La Liga stars were involved in the final between France and Croatia, more than any other league in world football.
However, while all the players did their country and the league proud, there are a few names that truly shined the most. SBOBET names five footballers that stood out among all the La Liga players that featured in the tournament.
Luka Modric, Real Madrid
It would be blasphemous not to include Croatia’s Luka Modric on this list. He’s the best player of the tournament, after all.
The Real Madrid midfielder propelled Croatia to an unlikely run in the final, helping them beat Nigeria, Argentina, Iceland, Denmark, Russia and England in defiance of the World Cup 2018 odds.
Modric’s spectacular showing in the competition earned him the Golden Ball award. He finished with only two goals and an assist, but it was his tireless work for the Croatians that helped them to a record-setting finals berth.
His vision is unmatched as he ceaselessly created opportunities for his teammates, all while taking advantage of the opponents’ defensive lapses.
Although there were criticisms about his performance in the final after France shut him down, there’s no doubt he was the most consistent and effective player throughout the month-long affair.
Ivan Rakitic, Barcelona
Well, we can’t have Modric and not include his midfield partner Ivan Rakitic, right?
Rakitic may not be the best player for Vatreni, but he is just equally important for the team. The Barcelona star started in six out of their seven games and was never substituted out in all of those matches—proof of how significant he was for the Croatian squad.
The only game that he didn’t start was in their no-bearing and final Group G match against Iceland, with the team all but secured a ticket to the knockout rounds.
Rakitic scored only one goal, but he stepped up for the team when it mattered most. In their back-to-back penalty shootouts against Denmark and Russia, the 30-year-old shrugged off the nerves and scored the winning penalty.
Denis Cheryshev, Villarreal
For La Liga fans, there’s probably no other player who surprised them the most than Villarreal’s Denis Cheryshev.
Sure, he scored an own goal in their group stage defeat to Uruguay, but fans shouldn’t forget that this is the same man who scored two goals in the opening game against Saudi Arabia to jumpstart Russia’s surprise journey to the knockout rounds.
He scored in three of their five games and was a consistent threat up front. He was also pivotal for Russia in sending Spain packing from the World Cup, converting the team’s final spot kick in the Round of 16.
Philippe Coutinho, Barcelona
Brazil failed to win it all this year despite high expectations, but at least they know their future is bright with the ascension of Philippe Coutinho as a reliable secondary option behind Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar.
Here’s an interesting statistic: out of Brazil’s eight goals in the competition, the Barcelona winger was directly involved in four—two goals and two assists. We don’t have to say that that’s 50 percent of the team’s scoring, right?
Put simply, Coutinho was the one who made the Brazilian team click. He’s not only fast and creative but also clever without the ball, which he all showed this past month.
Coutinho may have failed to give Brazil the World Cup 2018 results they wanted, but it’s clear their qualification to the knockout rounds wouldn’t have been possible without him.
As Brazil icon Roberto Carlos said in the heat of the tournament: “Everyone speaks about Neymar, but Coutinho is proving that he’s also a massive player for Brazil too. When all the defenders focus on Neymar, he pops up and decides matches.”
Antoine Griezmann, Atletico Madrid
To say that Antoine Griezmann was the key for France’s World Cup win would be an understatement. His Bronze Ball and Silver Boot honours speak volume on his contributions to the team and it isn’t an exaggeration to say that the final would have ended differently without the Atletico Madrid star.
Save for his controversial dive that resulted to a free kick (that resulted to Mario Mandzukic’s own goal), Griezmann was fun to watch and can be described as one of the top three strikers of the 2018 showpiece.
Griezmann, with four goals and two assists, ended the World Cup raising beliefs that he can win the Ballon d’Or.
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