World Cup 2018: Top Contenders for the Young Player Award
The stage is set for the FIFA World Cup in Russia to take centre-stage. A galaxy of stars are expected to shine in this tournament and will look to inspire their nation to the coveted World Cup title. There will be a plethora of young talents will be expected to light up this tournament.
The World Cup is the best stage for these young players to come into limelight. James Rodriguez dazzled in the previous tournament and wowed fans around the world to secure a big-ticket move to Real Madrid. The young players of this tournament will expect to do the same.
The under-21 players will have their eyes set on taking home the 'Young Player Award', an award that recognizes the best young talent of the tournament. Global superstars like Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Michael Owen, Thomas Muller are some of the players to have grabbed this prestigious award. Paul Pogba was the one who took home this trophy the previous time with his inspirational performances for France.
We take a look at the most likely contenders to grab this coveted trophy-
[Note: Only players born on or after 1 Jan 1997 will be considered for this award.]
#5 Rodrigo Bentancur (Uruguay)
Bentancur is a product of the famed Boca Juniors youth academy. The 20-year old who only made his club debut in April 2015, became a part of Carlos Tevez's swap deal and the Uruguayan finally moved to Juventus in July 2017. He completed a successful debut campaign at Turin where he gained valuable experience of playing big matches on the European stage.
The midfielder already has 6 caps for his country and he will provide the dynamism from the centre of the pitch. The experience will prove vital in a stage as big as the World Cup and the young lad will be one of the players to watch in an exciting Uruguayan side.