Kieran Trippier
27, wing-back, England
Trippier’s dead-ball ability was fundamental to England’s run to the semi-finals built on the back of set pieces. The 3-5-2 formation allowed both Trippier and Kyle Walker to feature, allowed the Tottenham wing-back to find his place in the side, just with a switch of that formation. He was instrumental in some of the Three Lions most memorable moments when delivering the corner of Harry Kane’s winner against Tunisia and the sensational free-kick against Croatia in the semi-final.
Denis Cheryshev
27, midfielder, Russia
This World Cup for Cheryshev would’ve been more of a dream experience if he had stepped out on the Luzhniki pitch for the Final. After having suffered an injury-disrupted spell at Villareal so far, and after failing to break through at Real Madrid this has been his time to shine. Striking in the quarter-final against Croatia was a simple evidence of that.
Takashi Inui
30, midfielder, Japan
His signing is looking impressively since snapped up by Real Betis before the tournament as he drew plenty of admiring glances during Japan’s four games. He shone brightly as a disciple of the classic Samurai Blue style. His quick passing and non-stop dynamism along with the creative focus for the side, bringing goals, unpredictability and invention are just parts of why his reputation is on the rise.
Yerry Mina
23, defender, Colombia
Mina’s quality as a rugged-but-classy centre-back had not gone unnoticed. He’s being picked up by Barcelona in January. His talent was far from common knowledge, having earned just a handful of appearances. All that profoundly changed with the towering performances in both boxes. Scoring in the dramatic equalizer against England and scoring in three successive games (including the mentioned one), ensured his hulking figure to stick in the minds of many.