Players under the spotlight

The stage is all set for World Cup’s 736 players coming from 32 countries for the biggest sporting event on the planet. It'll be quite the 32-day party in Russia and all parts of the world. But before the ball rolls for World Cup glory, let's break down the players who can steal the thunder this year.
Without further ado, here are the top names to remember this summer 
(in no particular order):

Lionel Messi, Argentina
The Argentine maestro does not need a World Cup trophy to validate his greatness. The goals, assists, La Liga titles, Champions League crowns, records, awards and breathtaking highlights are ample evidence of his epic impact on the sport over 13 years.
Nonetheless, there is a missing piece to his incredible body of work: a major championship for his country. The 2005 Under-20 World Cup and 2008 Olympics (U-23s) were age-restrictive competitions. The two tournaments that matters most are the World Cup and Copa America, which decides South America’s best.
The World Cup has left him with two quarterfinal exits and a 2014 championship defeat settled in extra time. Copa America has offered three runners-up medals (two on penalty-kick tiebreakers) and a quarterfinal setback.
And so as he turns 31 this month in what is probably his last World Cup, Messi finds himself in a situation not unlike another legendary figure, LeBron James. Like the Cavaliers, Argentina is not going to go deep in competition without an extraordinary performance by its best player.
Pele won three World Cups. Diego Maradona won one. Is it Messi’s time?

Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
If Messi is the best player in the world, Ronaldo, 33, is barely a step behind. Soccer fans of the modern era don’t realize how good they have it watching two of the greatest in history perform weekly — and several times each season against one another in Spain. While Messi mesmerizes with speed of foot and thought, performing skills with elegance and efficiency, the bigger and stronger Ronaldo obliterates defenders with a combination of cunning and power. He is also a master in the air.
He has won the Champions League title four of the past five seasons with Real Madrid and received FIFA’s top individual honor four of the past five years. Since joining the Spanish titan in 2009, Ronaldo has averaged about a goal per game.
He orchestrated Portugal’s European Championship conquest in 2016, but the World Cup results have declined since his 2006 debut: fourth place, round of 16, group stage.

Neymar, Brazil
In 2014, Brazil’s hopes of winning the championship at home all but ended when Neymar fractured a vertebra in the quarterfinals. (Honestly, even with him, Brazil probably wouldn’t have avoided semifinal elimination against Germany.) This summer, his right foot is in focus.
He has sufficiently healed from a fracture suffered in February while performing for Paris Saint-Germain. But without any competitive matches until the World Cup tuneups, Neymar will need to find his fitness and form in a hurry. Brazil has assembled a mighty roster and, with an influential Neymar, a sixth title is well within reach.
Besides physical hurdles, Neymar will face the burden of expectation. He was, after all, the subject of the most expensive club transfer in soccer annals, a $260 million move to PSG from Barcelona last summer. The French club breezed to the French league title but, in a disappointing pursuit of the continent’s grand prize, lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League’s round of 16.

Mohamed Salah, Egypt
The best players in the world come from Europe and South America, occasionally West Africa. They certainly don’t come from North Africa. Until now.
In his first campaign with Liverpool, Salah set the Premier League’s single-season scoring record with 32 goals. He had 12 in nonleague competitions for a total of 44 in 52 appearances — an astounding rate for someone who didn’t play much at Chelsea in 2013-15 and was a modest scorer at Roma. He was also instrumental in Liverpool’s unexpected charge through the Champions League.
Salah’s superlative season ended on a sour note, however, when he suffered a shoulder injury against Real Madrid in the May 26 continental final. It’s a race against time to regain mobility while retaining fitness and form ahead of Egypt’s opener against Uruguay — on Salah’s 26th birthday.

Manuel Neuer
Arguably the world’s best sweeper-keeper, but he nearly missed out. Repeated foot fractures meant his physical and mental readiness were the focus pre-tournament, and led to a mix-up when media reported he was trying a new blood therapy, leading anti-doping officers to intervene. It turned out to be a legitimate stem-cell based treatment. “It gives the bone an extra push,” Neuer said after being cleared. “When you break the bone three times, it gets a bit sluggish and tired.” He won the Golden Glove for best keeper in Brazil 2014, and won €500,000 for charity in 2011 on the German Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He reflected on it a few months later: “I don’t remember all the questions, but the last one was: ‘To Nuremberg’s Martin Behaim, we owe the oldest surviving what? a) compass; b) slide rule; c) globe; d) magnetic compass.’ I thought about it, then decided, as I’d never even heard of him, and had used up all my lives, I’d better not risk it. I was just relieved it was over. I would have guessed A, but the right answer was C. The money went to a child-poverty charity, so I was pleased about that.”

Players under the spotlight

The stage is all set for World Cups 736 players coming from 32 countries for the biggest sporting event on the planet. Itll be quite the 32-day party in Russia and all parts of the world. But before the ball rolls for World Cup glory, lets break down the players who can steal the thunder this year. Without further ado, here are the top names to remember this summer (in no particular order): Lionel Messi, Argentina The Argentine maestro does not need a World Cup trophy to validate his greatness. The goals, assists, La Liga titles, Champions League crowns, records, awards and breathtaking highlights are ample evidence of his epic impact on the sport over 13 years. Nonetheless, there is a missing piece to his incredible body of work: a major championship for his country. The 2005 Under-20 World Cup and 2008 Olympics (U-23s) were age-restrictive competitions. The two tournaments that matters most are the World Cup and Copa America, which decides South Americas best. The World Cup has left him with two quarterfinal exits and a 2014 championship defeat settled in extra time. Copa America has offered three runners-up medals (two on penalty-kick tiebreakers) and a quarterfinal setback. And so as he turns 31 this month in what is probably his last World Cup, Messi finds himself in a situation not unlike another legendary figure, LeBron James. Like the Cavaliers, Argentina is not going to go deep in competition without an extraordinary performance by its best player. Pele won three World Cups. Diego Maradona won one. Is it Messis time? Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal If Messi is the best player in the world, Ronaldo, 33, is barely a step behind. Soccer fans of the modern era dont realize how good they have it watching two of the greatest in history perform weekly and several times each season against one another in Spain. While Messi mesmerizes with speed of foot and thought, performing skills with elegance and efficiency, the bigger and stronger Ronaldo obliterates defenders with a combination of cunning and power. He is also a master in the air. He has won the Champions League title four of the past five seasons with Real Madrid and received FIFAs top individual honor four of the past five years. Since joining the Spanish titan in 2009, Ronaldo has averaged about a goal per game. He orchestrated Portugals European Championship conquest in 2016, but the World Cup results have declined since his 2006 debut: fourth place, round of 16, group stage. Neymar, Brazil In 2014, Brazils hopes of winning the championship at home all but ended when Neymar fractured a vertebra in the quarterfinals. (Honestly, even with him, Brazil probably wouldnt have avoided semifinal elimination against Germany.) This summer, his right foot is in focus. He has sufficiently healed from a fracture suffered in February while performing for Paris Saint-Germain. But without any competitive matches until the World Cup tuneups, Neymar will need to find his fitness and form in a hurry. Brazil has assembled a mighty roster and, with an influential Neymar, a sixth title is well within reach. Besides physical hurdles, Neymar will face the burden of expectation. He was, after all, the subject of the most expensive club transfer in soccer annals, a $260 million move to PSG from Barcelona last summer. The French club breezed to the French league title but, in a disappointing pursuit of the continents grand prize, lost to Real Madrid in the Champions Leagues round of 16. Mohamed Salah, Egypt The best players in the world come from Europe and South America, occasionally West Africa. They certainly dont come from North Africa. Until now. In his first campaign with Liverpool, Salah set the Premier Leagues single-season scoring record with 32 goals. He had 12 in nonleague competitions for a total of 44 in 52 appearances an astounding rate for someone who didnt play much at Chelsea in 2013-15 and was a modest scorer at Roma. He was also instrumental in Liverpools unexpected charge through the Champions League. Salahs superlative season ended on a sour note, however, when he suffered a shoulder injury against Real Madrid in the May 26 continental final. Its a race against time to regain mobility while retaining fitness and form ahead of Egypts opener against Uruguay on Salahs 26th birthday. Manuel Neuer Arguably the worlds best sweeper-keeper, but he nearly missed out. Repeated foot fractures meant his physical and mental readiness were the focus pre-tournament, and led to a mix-up when media reported he was trying a new blood therapy, leading anti-doping officers to intervene. It turned out to be a legitimate stem-cell based treatment. It gives the bone an extra push, Neuer said after being cleared. When you break the bone three times, it gets a bit sluggish and tired. He won the Golden Glove for best keeper in Brazil 2014, and won 500,000 for charity in 2011 on the German Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He reflected on it a few months later: I dont remember all the questions, but the last one was: To Nurembergs Martin Behaim, we owe the oldest surviving what? a) compass; b) slide rule; c) globe; d) magnetic compass. I thought about it, then decided, as Id never even heard of him, and had used up all my lives, Id better not risk it. I was just relieved it was over. I would have guessed A, but the right answer was C. The money went to a child-poverty charity, so I was pleased about that.