Players Who Might be Stars by the 2014 World Cup

By Justin Gotchall on July 7, 2012

Is there anything that sports fans enjoy more than potential? We all love the World Cup for the exciting display of exceptional skill it brings, and today we take a look at a few players who might very well be full-blown stars by 2014.

 Xherdan Shaqiri

The lethal winger just made the move up the professional ladder to the Bundesliga, and had been absolutely lethal for Basel before that. While not unknown, he is not household name (yet). But given the progress he has made and the level of play in the German leagues, he could soon be a World-beater.

Neymar 

The Brazilian magician has already drummed up incredible interest from top clubs the world round. But he is not an international star just yet, despite his regular appearances for the Brazilian national team. Chances are extremely high that he’ll be in Europe playing for a premier team two years from now, and has the potential to be the next best striker in the world (next to Lionel Messi). However, to truly go supernova, he’ll need to take that trip to Europe, and help the Brazilian national team to even more success.

Danny Welbeck 

The English striker burst onto the scene of first team football for Manchester United, scoring in rapid procession and putting on a top notch performance against Tottenham to win the game. The striker had sporadically seen first team play, and often found the back of the net for his team, but this past season he was simply marvelous, which led to him being a regular starter for the English club. Having already been capped for England’s Senior squad, he was brought onto the Euro Cup squad and scored some of England’s most important goals, and definitely some of the best goals of the entire Cup. The striker’s consistency – paired with his chemistry with fellow club and country teammates, Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young – will lead to him seeing more first team experience for both levels. That, and his ability to score magnificent goals, will undoubtedly vault Welbeck to fame for club and country.

Shinji Kagawa

Having had a stellar two-year-spell at Borussia Dortmund, the attacking midfielder has made the move to Manchester United, where he is set to play under one of football’s greatest managers, Sir Alex Fersguson, and to receive some tutorship from Park Ji-Sung and Paul Scholes. The Japanese play-maker has been positively scintillating for Dortmund and Japan, racking up goals and assists, and the move to United is set to only increase his renown and his remarkable ability.

Mario Gotze

It’s mildly fitting that Gotze should follow Kagawa in the list, just as he did on the depth chart. The fleet-footed German is a nightmare for German league defenders already, and is the youngest player to appear for Germany, in addition to tying the record for youngest goal scorer. With Kagawa off to England, Gotze should see far more playing time at Dortmund, and as his skills develop in the club, he’ll certainly see more first team experience for Germany. The German national team is always right up there as top contenders, and if Gotze can perform well enough for his club to earn a regular spot on the national first team,  in two years you can expect to see his name on headlines and jerseys everywhere.

Eden Hazard

First off, the guy’s name is simply great, definitely memorable. The Belgian winger is often compared to Cristiano Ronaldo, and has just made the move to UEFA Champions Chelsea, where he will definitely be seeing the pitch often, given the price tag required for his move. While his talent will definitely increase at Chelsea, one can only hope he can impress current Belgian manager George Leekens, who does not share the same shining opinion of Hazard as the French press. Hazard has struggled to consistently break the first team for Belgium, but has performed well when given the chance, creating a number of assists. For Club, Hazard helped Lille to win the French Ligue 1 in the 2010-11 season, and this year he won his third nomination for the UNFP Player of the Year award, as well as a spot on the Ligue 1 Team of the Year for a third consecutive season. Hopefully the move to Chelsea can improve Hazard’s fate in regards to seeing playing time for his national first team, and hopefully help Chelsea to some domestic success (which they badly need). Playing alongside former club and country teammate Romelu Lukaku is certain to help both players improve and could be a fruitful partnership up front. In two years, Hazard has plenty time to make nice with Leekens and to show the EPL just what he can do.

Javier Pastore

Currently playing for PSG, the attacking midfielder has on occasion made it known he is looking to move to a bigger club, and EPL clubs have been impatiently waiting for the right opportunity. Rumor has it that Manchester City are willing to match the price asked, a move which would spread the exciting Argentinian’s fame to England, and the world. While a star in Italy and France, Pastore is not quite the world-known player he could be. But in two years time, with possibly a transfer or a title-winning season with PSG, the agile Argentinian’s name will likely be on the minds of fans worldwide. The Argentinian national team is definitely set to put on one fantastic show in the World Cup, and there’s no reason Pastore won’t be part of it.

David de Gea

The Spanish shot-stopper has received mixed reviews after his high-profile move to Manchester United, but given his age he has done an admirable job filling the shoes of Edwin van der Sar, and has secured a starting position in one of the world’s most famous clubs. Two years from now, Pikers Casillas will be 33,  so there is a slight possibility that de Gea will be getting groomed as his replacement in the Spanish national team, which is currently achieving unparalleled levels of success. With United and Spain both being of such high standing in the world, it’d be hard not to know who de Gea is in two years.

Honorable mentions:

  • Jack Wilshere.
  • Christian Eriksen.
  • Phil Jones.
  • Aaron Ramsey.
  • Romelu Lukaku.

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