World Cup 2018: Predicting the Award Recipients
The 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia is almost here. At the end of each tournament, FIFA awards the players who have prominently made an impact for their nation with various awards.
The Golden Ball is awarded to the World Cup's most outstanding player. In 2014, that award was given to Lionel Messi for leading Argentina to the final.
The Golden Boot is awarded to the player who scores the most goals. In 2014, James Rodriquez's 6 goals secured himself the title of the top goalscorer.
The Golden Glove is awarded to the tournament's most outstanding goalkeeper. In 2014, Manuel Neuer won the award after a number of world-class performances.
And finally, the Best Young Player Award is given to the most outstanding player of the tournament 21-years-old or younger. France's Paul Pogba won the award in 2014 after multiple strong outings for Les Bleus.
Who's going to shine at this year's tournament, and who's going to win the awards? Here are my predictions for the 2018 FIFA World Cup award recipients.
Best Young Player - Marcus Rashford
Not too long ago, Marcus Rashford was an unknown in the Manchester United youth system. In the wake of multiple injuries, the now 20-year-old was given the chance to play, and he hasn't looked back since.
Rashford is coming off of a club season in which he contributed 13 goals and 6 assists in all competitions. The attacker projects to play either on the wing or just off of perennial goalscorer Harry Kane as a central forward.
Against some of the international powerhouses, England will have a lot of defending to do, but Rashford's blazing pace makes them extremely dangerous on the counter. On his day, Rashford has proven ability to score with the best of them, and he's a legit contender for this year's Best Young Player award.
Other Potential Winners: Kylian Mbappe, Gabriel Jesus, Kasper Dolberg