World Cup 2018: 4 players who could win the Golden Ball
It has been almost 2 weeks since the FIFA World Cup 2018 started and the group stages are now veering towards an end. There have been some major surprises and some heavyweights have stumbled in the initial matches. Defending champions Germany have suffered the humiliation of bowing out of the group stages and Croatia have taken the world by surprise with a stunning 3-0 win over Argentina.
We have been fortunate enough to watch some very good matches too. Spain and Portugal have split points in a 3-3 classic whereas Germany overcame Sweden 2-1 with the help of an astonishing Tony Kroos free-kick in the dying minutes of the match. Croatia and Uruguay have been imperious with 3 wins from 3 games. Brazil have also impressed with their 2-0 win over Costa Rica.
Naturally, there have been some players who have shone and stood apart from the rest. We would like to take a look at 4 such players who could win the Golden Ball for being the best player of the tournament:
#4 Philippe Coutinho
Philippe Coutinho has been one of the most impressive midfielders in the tournament so far. He has scored 2 goals in first 2 matches and remains the major creative source of Brazil’s free-flowing game. He bailed Brazil out with his stunning shot from outside the box against Switzerland and again showed his opportunism by breaking the deadlock against Costa Rica in the injury time.
Moreover, Coutinho often dropped down to central midfield and pulled strings with his impressive range of passes. He also succeeded in playing numerous passes to the expeditious Neymar and Douglas Costa in the flanks. Neymar might be the biggest star, but Coutinho remains the most vital player in the Brazilian set-up. If Brazil progresses to the semifinal or beyond, Coutinho could be one of the contenders for the coveted Golden Ball.