© Reuters
We know all about the footballing superstars who'll be on show in the World Cup - Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Pogba, Kroos. These guys are top-class performers at international level and have been for years.
But what about the next wave of potentially great players? The footballers who are nearly, but not quite, in that bracket? Who's going to be this tournament's James Rodriguez, the Colombian ace who graced the 2014 World Cup in Brazil with a series of stunning goals, later earning a transfer to Real Madrid?
Here are 10 players who, while not exactly unknowns, could make that step up if they turn on the style over the next few weeks in Russia.
Sergei Milinkovic-Savic, Serbia
The 23-year-old had a stellar season at Italian club Lazio, who now value him somewhere in the region of £80m. A decent showing at the World Cup and the Serie A might struggle to hang on to him. He's an attacking midfielder who seems to have it all - strong, skilful, creative, and with an eye for goal, especially from long range. The longer Serbia stay in the tournament - and the latest odds from William Hill put them in the knockout stages at least - the more interest in Milinkovic-Savic will surely grow.
Rodrigo Bentancur, Uruguay
If you're signed by Juventus having just turned 20 years of age, you're no clearly no mug. That's what happened to Bentancur when the Italian giants signed him from Boca Juniors. Although he wasn't a regular starter for Juve last season he still showed enough to enhance his reputation. He might not quite be the 'Uruguayan Pogba' as described here by Fox Sports but he's still one of the most promising young midfielders in world football.
Andre Silva, Portugal
At some point, probably quite soon, Portugal will face a future without Ronaldo. When that time inevitably comes they'll turn to the likes of Silva to continue to drive them forward. With 12 international goals - nine of those in World Cup qualification - the striker is already comfortable at this level. The 22-year-old had a difficult domestic season at AC Milan with just eight goals in league and Europa League action, fuelling rumours of a summer transfer with Wolves and Huddersfield among those clubs said to be interested.
© Reuters
Marco Asensio, Spain
Of course, Asensio's talent is no secret - we've seen how good he can be at Real Madrid. But in terms of international football he's still very much a novice, with barely a handful of caps to his name. It's a tough task getting into this Spanish side on a regular basis but this might be the tournament when he emerges. After all, Spain have a few players who won't see another World Cup - David Silva, Andres Iniesta - so there's a need for a new impetus in the attacking midfield areas. Over to you, Marco.
Amine Harit, Morocco
The 20-year-old could be one of the most exciting players at the tournament. The Schalke attacking midfielder is blessed with scorching pace and superb dribbling ability, so opposition defenders need to be aware of his quick feet and acceleration. In his own words, Harit has a 'provocative' style of play. He's actually already tasted international tournament success; he played for France when they won the European Under-19 Championships.
Daniel Arzani, Australia
There's a lot of expectation on Arzani's shoulders. He's officially the youngest player at the tournament and his rise has been little short of meteoric - he only made his first start for Australian A-League side Melbourne City in January 2018. Expect sharp footwork and sparkling close control, and a role as an impact substitute.
Albert Gudmundsson, Iceland
Iceland are renowned as a well-organised, spirited team greater than the sum of its parts. That might be accurate but there's still room for a bit of individual sparkle, too. Some of that comes from Gudmundsson, a goalscoring winger/forward. He's yet to really get going for club side PSV Eindhoven but he's scored three goals his first five appearances for Iceland. Gudmundsson turns 21 the day before the nation's opening game, against Argentina.
Fred, Brazil
The name Fred has been all over the place recently after a £52m transfer to Manchester United - this tournament gives United fans the first proper chance to watch him in action. For the 25-year-old it's actually been a struggle to assert himself at this level, hardly into double figures in terms of caps. How much game time he'll get here remains to be seen but if Brazil go as far in this tournament as they hope to, he should get opportunities to show he's worth what is a generous transfer fee.
© Reuters
Timo Werner, Germany
As supremely talented as they are, the world champions still need to keep evolving as a squad and the forward positions will need some freshening up with Mario Gomez now 32. So, this tournament is Werner's big opportunity to shine. Just 22, the Leipzig striker has made a rapid start to his international career, with seven goals in his first 13 appearances, and he's got an important role to play as the champions seek to defend their trophy.
Hirving Lozano, Mexico
Lozano could be a genuine sensation in Russia. Comfortable playing on the left or the right, the 22-year-old provides from out wide; 17 in 29 Eredivisie appearances for PSV Eindhoven, and seven in 27 caps for Mexico. There's a chance that his stay in the Netherlands may only be brief - Everton are said to be keen, and they won't be alone. If PSV do cash in, they'll surely make a decent profit. Having paid just £7m for him in July 2017, he's now worth around three times that.
