The top-ranked midfielders in the 2014 World Cup have been the best performers in a tournament where the best players in the world are not on a global stage.
But which of the teams have the best midfielders?
Here is a look at the best-performing players from the past five FIFA World Cups.
1.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) Ronaldo is the greatest footballer of all time.
A superstar, a force of nature, he has won the most trophies of any player in the history of football, including five Ballon d’Or.
But while Ronaldo’s career has been extraordinary, his form has dipped over the past few years.
Ronaldo scored just eight goals in the last 16 games of the 2014 FIFA World Championship.
This year, he scored 17 goals and provided seven assists, but his overall form is at an all-time low.
The 31-year-old was out of form for the first time in his career in the latter stages of the tournament, and his form dropped significantly.
Despite this, Ronaldo has been consistently dominant in the tournament and is now the most prolific player in world football.
In the past 10 games, he’s scored 29 goals and assisted 23 more.
The Portugal international is currently fourth on the FIFA World Team Rankings.
2.
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) Wayne Rooney is the most decorated footballer in world history.
The striker, the former captain of the England national team, won the Champions League and FIFA Ballon D’Or in 2014, while also becoming the youngest player ever to score in the Champions Trophy final.
However, Rooney has struggled in the past couple of years, scoring just six goals and creating just one assist in the six games since his return from injury.
The England international has also struggled with injuries.
He missed the World Cup due to an injury and was unable to help England qualify for the knockout rounds.
The Red Devils captain has played just 17 minutes this season, and is currently second on the all-TIME goals list behind Cristiano Messi.
3.
Lionel Messi (Barcelona) The most successful player in La Liga, Lionel Messi has won two Champions Leagues and three La Liga titles.
He is the best player in Spain’s history.
Messi scored an incredible 91 goals in just two seasons at Barcelona, while playing for five different clubs.
The Argentina star has been the most consistent scorer in the league for the past decade, but this season has been more erratic.
Messi has scored just five goals and has assisted only four more.
At this stage, the Argentine is currently tied with Cristiano Di Stefano for the most assists in the competition’s history, but it’s impossible to see him scoring in excess of 30 goals in his next two campaigns.
4.
Neymar (Barça) Neymar has scored an amazing 71 goals in only five years at Barcelona.
The Brazilian has notched up two Premier League titles, two Champions League titles and two La Liga trophies.
His form has dropped significantly in recent years, as he has only scored nine goals in 12 games this season.
Neymas form has been an issue for the Barcelona side this season as he is struggling to score consistently.
The 22-year old is currently the second most prolific striker in the Liga with 23 goals, behind Cristian Higuita, and has only assisted five more goals.
5.
Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich) The world’s most expensive player, Arjen is one of the best defenders in the game.
He scored a record-breaking 91 goals last season, including seven in the Bundesliga and the Champions Leaning.
He’s currently second only to Messi on the list of most assists of all- time.
Robben’s form has taken a turn for the worse this season after a few good results this year.
He has played 18 minutes this year and is fourth on his career goals list.
6.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint-Germain) The greatest striker in world soccer history.
He plays for Paris Saint- Germain and scored a staggering 81 goals in less than a decade at the club.
The Swede has scored a career-high 46 goals in 30 matches this season and his career-best assist total is 30.
Ibrahimovic has only played 17 minutes in this World Cup.
The 32-year -old has not scored in the four games this year due to injury.
7.
Zinedine Zidane (Barca) The current French coach is one step closer to a World Cup title after he was crowned France’s coach in May.
The Frenchman won the 2014 tournament with Lyon and was a big part of the side that reached the semi-finals of the World Football Cup in 2015.
His squad has been fantastic this year, as Zidani’s side has reached the final of the Champions Cup.
He finished third in the FIFA Ballons Ligue and won the 2013 World Cup with Brazil. 8. Zid
