4) Mateo Kovacic (Croatia)
Despite a lack of first team football in Serie A for Inter Milan, talented young playmaker Mateo Kovacic could still be integral to Croatia’s hopes of making it out of Group A. Seen as the future of Croatian football since emerging as a sixteen year-old at Dinamo Zagreb, his progress has stalled somewhat since his move to Italy. The World Cup provides the perfect stage for a reinvention, though – and playing ahead of Ivan Rakitic and Luka Modric means that Kovacic will be operating as a part one of the tournament’s most impressive midfields.
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