Young stars to watch out for in Russia 2018
At every World Cup, there is always at least one player who bursts onto the football scene. It was Thomas Müller in South Africa. It was James Rodriguez in Brazil. Who will it be in Russia?
Sardar Azmoun, Iran
As statistics go, Azmoun is as good as one could hope for in Asian football. The 23-year-old forward has 22 goals in 30 appearances for Iran. He has not scored as often at Russian side Rubin Kazan, but he will be a focal point in Iran's attack.
Gabriel Jesus, Brazil
Brazil may have found their next great football star. Jesus, 21, scored 17 goals and recorded 5 assists for Manchester City this past season, and will in all likelihood be leading the line for Tite's Brazil side this summer.
Rodrigo Betancur, Uruguay
Uruguay has produced multiple star attackers and defenders in recent years, but Betancur, 21, could be one of their few in midfield. He made 27 appearances for Juventus this past season, including five in the Champions League.
Giovani Lo Celso, Argentina
Lo Celso, 22, is the new kid on the block in an Argentina midfield that includes veterans Lucas Biglia and Ever Banega. But the young midfielder is poised to make an impact after scoring six goals and recording seven assists in 48 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain this past season.
Andrija Zivkovic, Serbia
He is just 21 years old and 1.69 meters tall (5 foot 7), but Zivkovic has the pace and skill to be an impact player for Serbia. The Benfica forward scored three times and recorded seven assists in 30 appearances this past season.
Hwang Hee-chan, South Korea
Hwang, 22, was one of the reasons Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg made the semifinals of the Europa League. Now he is hoping to make a similar impact with South Korea, who are hoping to return to the knockout stages of the World Cup after missing out in 2014.
Aleksandr Golovin, Russia
Golovin (left) is the hometown hero Russian football fans should get behind at the World Cup. A native of the Kemerovo region, the 21-year-old is already a regular in CSKA Moscow's team, and Russian coach Stanislav Cherchesov will need him to play a key role this summer.
Marcus Rashford, England
At Euro 2016 in France, Rashford was just a teenager along for the ride. Now he is an integral young piece of Gareth Southgate's England squad. He seems on the verge of a breakout after two full seasons under his belt, and it could come in Russia.
Hirving Lozano, Mexico
Lozano, 22, tore it up in the Dutch first division last season, scoring 17 goals and recording 11 assists for PSV Eindhoven. He now has to translate that production to the Mexican national team, who face a tough group against Germany, Sweden and South Korea.
Kylian Mbappe, France
Mbappe, 19, is a superstar in the making. He scored 21 goals and recorded 16 assists for Paris Saint-Germain last season, helping his side win a French treble. He now has the opportunity to be an impact player at his first World Cup as France chase their first World Cup since 1998.
Marco Asensio, Spain
Asensio, 22, is one of the few Spanish youngsters who has become a regular at Real Madrid. After leading Spain to the U21 European Championship final last year, he will likely play a big role for Julen Lopetegui's team.
Timo Werner, Germany
He's clinical, he's fast and he's unlike many German forwards who put on the national team shirt. Werner, 22, took a minor step back this season after his breakout in 2016-17, but he will likely be the forward Joachim Löw counts on in Russia.