Four future stars of FIFA World Cup

IANS  |  Kazan 

While many people feel sorry to see Lionel Messi, and leaving the pitches earlier than expected, some young footballers stood out to show that they deserve equal, if not more, attention from the media and fans.

(France): There should be no doubt that Mbappe, the Golden Boy of 2017, is the most talented of his generation. Born in 1999, the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward will become the world's second-most if his loan from AS to the capital club turns permanent this summer.

In the 4-3 thriller against Argentina, Mbappe scored twice and set up another for Antoine Griezmann, becoming the first teenager to score a brace in the same match after Pele. Had it not been for Mbappe, Didier Deschamps's side might have already been eliminated in the first match of the knock-out stage in

After the match, Mbappe finally cemented his place in the starting line-up. With taking on another talent-studded team Belgium in the semifinals, Mbappe could be the devastating weapon for Les Bleus.

(Russia): Although the hosts were eliminated by on penalties in the quarter-final clash, this can't shadow the highlight performance of Golovin.

Golovin is considered by many as the most talented Russian in the last decade after It's not easy to define his role, but it's not hard to conclude that he usually does a good job.

In the emotional opening match in which crushed 5-0, Golovin dominated the front pages although Denis Cheryshev, who replaced injured Alan Dzagoev, was rated the man of the match.

The playmaker now is closely linked with a summer move to giants Juventus. The Bianconeri have offered 20m to CSKA Moscow for Golovin, but after his wonderful performance in this World Cup, higher price is expected.

(Mexico): stunned defending champions 1-0 in their opening match of Group F, and it was Lozano who scored the sole goal through the counter.

Lozano is small, quick and has a seemingly endless bag of tricks. As a winger, his footwork, agility and desire to drive forward with the ball surged to the last 16 clash.

It is reported that Manchester United and Arsenal have joined the battle to sign the PSV Eindhoven attacker.

(England): Strictly speaking, 24-year-old Kane can't be tipped as a future star, but there is no denying that the England still has potential to feature.

Kane scored 41 goals in 48 matches across all competitions for Tottenham Hotspur in the 2017-18 season. Now he has brought that form to the England national team and made his way to become the current top scorer in with six goals from just four games.

His leadership, composure and finishing ability have helped England move on to the semi-finals, the best record since 1990. In the upcoming match against Croatia, Kane remains absolutely essential to England's play.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Sun, July 08 2018. 17:18 IST