What Just Happened? - Neymar to PSG.

Neymar to PSG has been much like all of the monumental transfer rumours that fly around every summer. Messi to leave Barcelona, Ronaldo to return to Manchester United, in fact just about everyone to Manchester United. But believe it or not, the century defining transfer appears to be on it's way to completion after the Brazilian was given permission by the Catalan giant to go and 'sort out his future'.

Now just because Neymar has been given permission to speak to the Paris based club doesn't mean the deal is secured, in fact today Barcelona have also stated that PSG will have to pay the full amount that is stated on the Brazilian's buy out clause, an astounding £198 million, and they will have to pay it in full, up front. PSG are however one of few clubs who could afford the asking price, and with backing from their Qatari owners the former French champions look set to pay the price. This deal will more then double the current world record transfer fee, held by Manchester United and Paul Pogba when he moved from Juventus last summer for £89 million, and this isn't the only way money is a huge factor in this deal. The move could see Neymar become the worlds best paid player, even beating out a number of the ludicrous wage bills coming from China. Paris Saint Germain are prepared to double Neymar's current wage, and it will not be only Neymar Jr getting richer, but senior will as well. It was reported that during the Brazilian forwards initial move to the Camp Nou, his father pocketed an incredible 100 million euro, and with the sale of his son, Neymar senior will receive a 36 million euro commission. This is all taking place after, on Monday 31st July, senior also received a stated 26 million euro loyalty bonus... for his sons loyalty to Barcelona... days before his move to PSG looked like it was on... okay then.

At 25 years old Neymar is already an incredibly rich man, and although his father seems driven by money, the tricky winger doesn't seem to see it as a motivating factor as much. The move to Barcelona demonstrates that, as Real Madrid were prepared to out bid Barca both in terms of transfer fee and wages. So if it isn't money, what else could be pushing Neymar away? Quite simply, and it is quite sad in reality, but Lionel Messi. MSN, Messi, Suarez & Neymar. The Barcelona front line is simply the best in the world, bar none, with three of the world's best players. However the front man will always be, and always has been, Lionel Messi. The Argentinian is seen as the one who started it all, during the 2008/2009 season when the Catalonian's won the treble, it was Messi who was made the figure head of that team, and it has been that way ever since. Now, Xavi, Iniesta, Henry, Suarez, Eto'o, these stars didn't seem to have a problem with being second fiddle to the worlds best, but Neymar appears to have exactly that problem. 8th March 2017, Barcelona 6-1 PSG. One of the most incredible matches of all time, and after Barca had made history, a photo of Messi, stood on top of an advertising board went viral. Seen as an image for the game, 70 million people had seen the snapshot within 48 hours of it going live, and that is where the problem lays. Messi wasn't the star of the show, he wasn't the man who's curling free kick set the comeback in motion, who both won and scored a penalty moments later, or who's chipped ball out thought the entire PSG defence and created the iconic goal scored by Sergi Roberto. It was Neymar. The late assist was Neymar's eighth of the competition, the most of any player, and he had led throughout the game, but he was pushed to a supporting role by Messi, despite deserving leading man accolades for his performance. On record the Brazilian has stated this was the best performance he has given in the red and blue of Barcelona, and the lasting image will always be, Lionel Messi. With Barcelona though, it almost always is. If Neymar truly wants centre stage, to be seen as 'the guy' then he can't do that at Barcelona, not for another few years at least, and by then his best years may have passed him by. What makes this heart braking in a way is two fold, firstly it breaks up the incredible MSN threesome, which is potentially the best attacking line in history. But also, if Neymar holds some form of grudge against Messi, the Argentinian certainly doesn't feel the same. On his official Instagram Messi has posted a video, made up of pictures of the two of them, with the caption 'It was a great pleasure to spend all these years with you my friend Neymar. I wish you good luck in this new stage of your life. See you tomorrow.'

Neymar's move to PSG could be the decision that sees the Brazilian catapulted into superstardom. The French club have just lost their title to Monaco, one they'll be desperate to win back, but above all else, they'll have their eyes on the Champions League. In the 2015 Champions League final, Neymar stared and scored for Barcelona on the way to a 3-1 win, he also scored four goals and provided four assists during the World Cup in Brazil. Neymar also scored the winning penalty in the gold medal match during the 2016 Olympics, a match not taken too seriously around the world, but one seen as huge in Brazil. At just 25 years old the Brazilian has proven he has what it takes to perform on the biggest stage, and he could easily develop into the best player in the world. But would he ever been seen as anything more then a supporting act when he shared the team with Messi? It's a question we perhaps will never get an answer to as Neymar's eyes seem firmly set on a move to Paris. In terms of domestic football it is a HUGE drop in standard, and you have to question whether or not Neymar will be seen as 'taking the easy way out' by going to France, and you have to question if his performances there will ever lead to Balon D'or accreditation? After all, Zlatan scored 113 league goals in 122 league games for the same club, including 38 goals in 31 games during his final season, and yet was never considered the best player in the world because he was playing in a 'mediocre league'. Then on the other hand, Kylian Mbappe has flourished in the same league, and the teenager is tipped for an incredible £100 million + move away from Monaco, and with Monaco reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League this year, the league appears to be on the way up. PSG failing to win the title shows an increase in competition, in fact Nice were also challenging for the title for most of the season. SO perhaps this is the best time for Neymar to come to France, he could not only be the main man in a new look PSG side, but the figurehead for a growing division, much like Messi was in Spain in the late 2000's and ever since.

So what could Barcelona do to persuade Neymar to stay? Well it appeared that a move for Liverpool's Philipe Coutinho, Neymar's friend from childhood, could be what the board do to keep the Brazilian in Spain. However after a reported £90 million offer was rejected by Liverpool, and manager Jurgen Klopp has very sternly stated that his star man is not for sale, the deal seems to be off for now. You could argue however that the Coutinho offer was to bring in Neymar's immediate replacement, but that same argument can't be used for the next rumoured transfer. Paulinho To Barcelona. What? The midfielder who failed to impress for Spurs in England and has spent the last couple of seasons in China was subject to a rumoured 40 million euro offer from the Spanish giants. Why? Well, Paulinho is also one of Neymar's close friends, it appears Barca were certain that the signing of a friend would keep their number 11 at the club. However when Guangzhou Evergrande said Paulinho was not for sale, the move appeared to die there and then. (Probably for the best, Paulinho isn't fit to lace up Iniesta's boots let alone play in the same midfield as him. ) It isn't just the club trying to hold onto one of their star men, but Neymar's team mates as well. Luis Suarez was reportedly using a plane journey to the USA to try and convince his fellow South American to stay, as well as Gerard Pique, who has had a lot to say on the matter. When asked about the rumours, Pique responded with "He could go to any club in the world, what does he want? More money? Or more titles? I could understand that he wants to be a leader, but not for a sporting project, in all fairness, he's betting everything on one hand (Champions League.)" A few days earlier Pique appeared to be trying to calm the storm, posting on twitter a picture of the Brazilian, the caption being translates to 'he is staying'. However three days after making the post, when again questioned about the move, Pique confirmed everything apart from the statement he had made. The Spanish centre back said that he had spoken to Neymar with the intention of convincing him to stay, and that his hope was the same. Many people at Barcelona consider the Brazilian as the second best player on the planet, and that him staying would be best for his own sake, as well as the clubs. "He doesn't know what to do." Pique followed with. "We'll try to help him make the right decision."

The decision appears to have been made, with Neymar, his father, his representatives, PSG and Barcelona all stating that the move is on. Whether or not this is the correct decision is yet to be seen, one thing is for certain though, this will be the most ground breaking transfer in the history of world football. We've seen stars move from one club to the next, but this will be the first time a transfer of this magnitude has taken place. Barcelona are known for putting huge buy out clauses on their players, representing a 'not for sale sign' and for the first time in history, the huge number wasn't huge enough. The future and present of Brazilian football could be on his way to the French capital, it could go either way, do I want to see the move happen? No. Am I interested? Oh yes. Do I think is is the right thing for Neymar to do? No. But will a player of Neymar's quality continue to be one of the best in the world, no matter where he is? Yes he will.

Germany Win - In other news grass is green.

Before you read on just scroll to the bottom of the page and read the quote. Gary Lineker really knows his stuff.

Germany have added two more titles to their incredible tally in the last week, with the U21's winning the European Championships, beating favourites Spain in the final. And last night the senior team won their first ever Confederations cup by edging out Alexis Sanchez's Chile side, also by 1 goal to nil. So Germany winning major tournaments, what's new? Germany are the joint second most successful side in World Cup history (Level with Italy on 4 titles, 1 behind Brazil) and the most successful side in the history of the European Championships, winning three titles. The are also currently ranked 3rd in the World in the FIFA world rankings but their Confederations cup win will see them up to first when the new rankings are announced. So, I ask again, what's new? Why is Germany winning two more titles such a news worthy event?

Let's start with the U21 European Championships. Going into the tournament the heavy favourites were Spain, and the Spaniards appeared to be taking the competition very seriously, brushing teams aside on route to the final. Then we have Germany. First of all, the team that featured was not the Germany U21 side, in fact 10, yes 10 players who could have featured in the tournament weren't even part of the squad. And these aren't squad players, these are guaranteed starters. The likes of Emre Can from Liverpool, Joshua Kimmich of German champions Bayern, Manchester City's Leroy Sane as well as Bayer Leverkusen stars Jonathan Tah and Juilian Brandt, none of these players made the squad. Why? We'll get to that. In fact with the missing players, you can put together an entire outfield side that could have won the tournament. Then we have, what I like to call, typical Germany. Why is it that, no matter how good the side, as soon as they face Germany they forget how to play football. This means that Germany don't even have to play well to win on many occasion, and that is often the case, including during this tournament. Germany didn't even win their group, finishing second to Italy via the head-to head rule. But then we reached the knock out rounds, the matches that actually matter to the Germans. Despite being taken to penalties by England, they were by far and away the better team, out classing the young lions at every turn. This still however wasn't a convincing Germany win, but that's the key word, win. Then we reached the final, their opponents Spain tore Italy apart 3-1 in their semi final and looked in great form. But form doesn't matter when Germany are involved. It was a tactical masterclass by the under dogs (How can I call Germany the under dogs!?) Limiting Spain to very few chances, the fast flowing football that had lead the Spaniards to the final was no where to be found, and one glancing header later, Germany were champions. They played their best football once all tournament, with a drastically weakened team, and they won the entire thing. Of course they did.

Now to the Confederations cup.  This is a very strange tournament, with some sides taking it incredible seriously and featuring their star players (Like now former holders Brazil in 2013) and with some sides featuring weakened sides. Now Germany fall into the column of the later. Do you remember when I said 10 Under 21s didn't feature in the U21 European Championships? That was because they were all playing in Russia. The U21 team were effectively representing the senior side, the likes of Leon Goretzka, captain of the side Julian Draxler and star striker Timo Werner. These U21 players were staring for the senior side, and as you now know, winning the entire thing. And much like in the U21 European Championships, Germany won it without every really hitting top gear! Much like Spain in the before mentioned tournament, opponents Chile came into the Confederations Cup final looking like the better side. The likes of Sanchez and Vidal were tipped to be too strong and experience for this second string German side. Now Chile managed a lot more chances then Spain's U21s but once again Germany did a number on their opponents. Scoring an early goal through a defensive mistake and then sitting back and playing on the counter. Now this is what makes the current situation so impressive from Germany's point of view. If you class the Confederations Cup winning side as German's B team, and their U21 winning side as their C team, you are, of course, left with their first team, the current World Champions. This means Germany currently are able to put out three entirely different sides, knowing they can win on the world stage. They beat the current, back to back Copa America winners Chile, without the likes of Thomas Muller, Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng, Marco Reus, Toni Kroos and Mesut Ozil just to name a few. Chile featured their strongest side, a side that turned over Lionel Messi's Argentina to reach the competition, and Germany's second team out thought them, beating them and claiming their first Confederations cup title. 

The level of depth Germany currently have with their national side is simply remarkable and it is all a product of their reshuffle following the European Championships in France in 2000. After a poor tournament the German FA restructured their national league and everything below it to be a platform for the national side. The growth of young players was the priority, with the goal to become World Champions again by 2014. And now, in 2017, we can see that Germany won the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but have continued to grow, with their depth and pool of talent the envy of the rest of the footballing world. The German players now all posses a winning mentality, they know how to win when the pressure is really on. This is what allows them to win big games without playing well, they just know how to win, it's been pumped into them from the grass roots level, the overhaul in the early 2000's and it is now paying off big time on the national stage. 

Every side on the planet right now can learn from Germany, but really we've been saying this for years! The perfect execution of the plan set up by the German FA is an example of a long term goal being reached and surpassed, but to reach a long term goal you first have to set one! That is a big problem, in particularly with the English national side. Too much pressure is put on the 'here and now' and not enough thought is being put into the future. Joachim Low saw the Confederations cup as a chance for some of his younger players to shine for the senior side, win the competition, gain that vital winning mentality. The side Germany's U21s beat in the semi finals of their competition, England, and despite the close score line they out classed them with a side that was very much their junior! The side that player were effectively German's C team and they seemed far more matured and used to playing on the national stage. If the likes of Deli Ali and Marcus Rashford where at the tournament then that game could have gone very differently and it would be young English players learning how to win and gaining the vital experience that the German's clearly already possesed, but yet again it's the German's. Of course it is. What was that quote again Gary? 

Football is a simple game, twenty two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win. 

The Future of the Five Time World Champions - Brazil

Brazil as a nation are known for, above all, it's football. From the beaches of Rio to the skyscrapers of Brasilia, football is seen as a matter of life and death and the success of their national team more then shows that fact. With five FIFA World Cups to their name, three in the space of four tournaments between 1958 and 1970 Brazil has staked their claim to being the best national team in the world! With two more titles following in 1994 and 2002 a second golden age for the Canariho (little canary) was born and unlike in the past, these stars came across to Europe and allowed us to truly understand how good the boys from Brazil where! With the likes of Cafu, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and many many more world class players joining Europe's elite club sides and making waves, this golden age of Brazilian football left a long lasting impact on the rest of the world. As this squad of players have slowly moved on to lives beyond football a new batch of youngsters have came from the shores of Brazil and made their mark in the biggest leagues in the world, spear headed by superstar Neymar. Other big names such as Coutinho, Thiago Silva, Oscar, Marcelo have continued the trend of exports from Brazil making a splash in Europe, however they have struggled to make the same impact and find the success on the international stage that their predecessors did before them. With a failed attempt to win the World Cup in their own backyard in 2014 and a quarter final exit from the 2015 Copa America the current Brazilian first team has struggled to set the world alight. But one thing the leagues of Brazil is never short of is potential, potential world beaters just waiting to show the rest of us how good they can be. With Brazil winning the gold medal at the 2016 Olympics, a tournament of an under 23 structure, the future looks bright and now is the time to focus on the next generation of talent coming from the most successful nation in football.

'The next Neymar'. That is what young striker Gabriel Barbosa was dubbed when he caught the public eye after breaking into the same Santos side as the Barcelona star at the ripe old age of 16, making his debut in Neymar's farewell to his boyhood club. After being part of the youth set up at Santos from the age of 8, and signing his first professional contract only a month after his 16th birthday with an incredible 50 million euro buyout clause attached, Barbosa has been tipped for greatness for a long time. He will forever go down in history of the Sao Paulo based club after scoring the clubs 12,000th goal, he finished his first full professional season at the club with a tally of 21 league goals which instantly saw the youngster handed a new five year deal as the strikers stock continued to grow. The following season saw Barbosa have to fight for his place as Brazilian international Robinho resigned for his former club, and although this reduced the number of first team opportunities Gabriel received, he continued to improve and after returning to a full time member of the first team he completed another very successful season, which included finishing as the top goalscorer in the Copa Do Brazil with 8 goals, which lead Santos to the final in a losing effort against Palmeiras. As the 2016 season started Gabriel was officially one of the top stars in the Brasileiro Seria A and with that status, the interest from Europe was inevitable and on the 27th August 2016 Barbosa signed a five year deal with Italian giants Inter Milan, the same European side where Ronaldo thrived from a young age, the deal was reportedly worth just south of 30 million euros. Since signing however Barbosa has only made one first team appearance as he tries to get a grip on the Italian style of football. But with the hype surrounding the striker from such a young age, and the attention on the youngster never wavering, Barbosa is 100% one to watch.

Scoring a brace in your International debut, now that's a way to make sure everybody watches out for you! Gabriel Jesus (Yes another Gabriel) has been regarded as one of the most promising young players on the planet since coming through the youth system at Brazilian side Palmeiras and has earned comparisons to 'el phenomenon' Ronaldo. Jesus signed his first development contact with the club at the age of 16 and featured for Palmeiras in the under 17s state championship but within 9 months, with 22 games played and an incredible 37 goals scored, the teenager was offered his first professional deal with the club. He finished the calendar year with 54 goals in 48 matches, making him the club's top goalscorer at any level, and the interest from abroad was already evident, with English side Arsenal reportedly monitoring the strikers development very closely. The striker from Sao Paulo was subject to a petition coming towards the end of the 2014 season. With Palmeiras struggling in the league and risking relegation, the fans where outraged that the young Brazilian wasn't getting a chance in the first team despite his major success in the youth system, and a petition was created to force the hand of the manager. Despite the fans best efforts Gabriel didn't get to make his first team debut until March 2015 and his first start came in April, just days before his 18th birthday, where his quick feet, speed and dribbling ability instantly attracted yet more attention from the world of football. His first professional goal for the club came in July, scoring the only goal in 1-0 Copa Do Brazil win against ASA, Jesus scored two more goals on route to Palmeiras winning the Copa Do Brazil, although he was forced off during the second leg of the final due to a shoulder injury. During his first full professional year Jesus has currently scored 21 league goals, and averaging a goal every other game in all competitions. He has also however earn his first red card of his career during the 2016 season, as he was involved in a fight with Damian Musto, Jesus apologised instantly after the game for the misconduct and it remains the only sending off of Jesus's career. Despite the red card the young striker continued to gather more and more momentum and the attention surrounding him grew until August 2016, when a pre contract was signed with Manchester City which totalled at 32 million euros which will see the youngster joining the English club in January 2017 once the Brazilian league season has finished.  After the deal was completed Jesus stared in the gold medal winning Brazilian side at the 2016 Rio Olympics, this was perhaps the first glimpse for most people of the future Manchester City player and he did not disappoint, scoring 3 goals on the road to Brazil's first ever football Olympic gold. Once Jesus officially becomes a Manchester City player all of Europe will find out what many people already know, that we have a future world beater on our hands! When Ronaldo officially agrees to mentor a young striker, you know we could be in for something special. Watch this space.


Unlike the previous two mentions, this Brazilian youngster is yet to agree a multi-million pound move to Europe, but that does not mean he hasn't been on the radar of the top clubs. Rodrigo Ciao has came through the ranks at Sao Paulo and from the very beginning he was tipped for greatest! First creating a buzz in 2012, Ciao was asked to play as a right back, despite playing the early stages of his career in the centre of defence. The reason for this was their opposition, Santos, and more notably, Neymar. His inexperience in this role didn't show and instead Rodrigo was able to hold off Neymar throughout the State Championship fixture and received rave reviews from the media for his performance. Noted by the people reporting on the match was Ciao's footwork, known in Brazil as movimento do escorpiao, it is a style used in indoor football to hold off attacking players, a style rarely seen in full size games. At the age of 19 Rodrigo Ciao was one of the first names on the team sheet at Sao Paulo playing at right back, but injuries lead to him returning to the centre of defence and much like he did before he impressed instantly with manager Paulo Autuori highlighting his quality of performances by promoting Ciao to become his sides number one central defender. Rodrigo continued to impress game in game out for the remainder of the year, and was beginning to force his way into the Brazilian national team picture where he played for both the U21 and U23 sides, once again impressing. Sadly for the Brazilian however, in August 2014 Ciao picked up an ACL injury, ruling him out of action for 7 months, returning in March 2015. A mere three months after returning to action Rodrigo was subject to a 16 million euro deal being agree between Sao Paulo and Spanish giants Valencia. Sadly for the returning defender, his knee injury caused him to fail two medicals and the deal fell through. In response to this his business relationship with 'super agent' Jorge Mendes was ended by the youngster due to frustration of the deal collapsing. Since his injury Ciao has continued to improve at Sao Paulo and due to club captain and legend Rogerio Ceni retiring in December 2015 it has been reported and seen that Ciao has taken on responsibility and now is the main voice and leader in the dressing room. A Brazilian centre back with the potential to be up there with the great defenders in the countries history, his horrible injury has prevented him from completing his move to Europe already, but don't be surprised if it happens very soon. This defender is mature beyond his years, incredibly versatile and just keeps getting better and better! A future Brazilian captain, mark my words.

Brazil has, is and will always produce top footballing talent! Whether they can translate that talent into success on the biggest stage is always another question, but the future of the five time world champions looks bright. The players mentioned are just a few of the men from the Liga Do Brazil that can take the European leagues by storm. Once again, watch this space.

Chinese Super league - What Just Happened?

It's been threatening to for a while, but it appears the Chinese Super league is finally making its claim to become a new power house of world football. As another rather uneventful January transfer window in England has drawn to a close, the window in China is still open, and the incredible list of player who have taken the journey to China is continuing to grow. After Didier Drogba signed for Shanghai Shenhua in 2012, the Chinese league appeared to calm down for a period, with only a few top name players moving to the country, and much like the MLS, these players where heading towards the back end on their career, which makes this January's transfer spectacular even more incredible!

With still two weeks to go in their winter transfer window, the top tier of Chinese football has seen a staggering £105,445,598.18 spend on incoming players so far, comfortably topping the English Premier Leagues spending for this window and making it the highest spending league in the world for the winter window. As well as this, four of the top five spending individual clubs in this window have been Chinese, with only Norwich City bucking the trend. Now, we have seen obscure leagues spend incredible money on a lot of big name players in the past, the most recent examples being the MLS, bringing in the likes of Kaka, David Villa, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo all in a short space of time, the reason why this Chinese spending spree is so different and is making the whole football world take note is that, these players are not only big names, but still in the prime of their career and could force their way into some of the top teams in world football. Former Arsenal winger Gervinho made the jump this window, as did Colombian midfielder Fredy Guarin and the ever present, now former Chelsea deep lying midfielder Ramires. However, the two biggest deal of the window both broke the record transfer fee for Chinese football, and both 100% made the world of football stand back and watch, especially those in England!

The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil saw a lot of players showcase their talents on the biggest stage of them all, and one striker who certainly took advantage of this was Jackson Martinez, despite stiff competition from team mates restricting his time on the pitch, when he started the group game against Japan, Martinez scored a very impressive brace, and showed the world what he could do! Alongside an incredible goal scoring record of 67 goal in 89 games for FC Porto in Portugal, in the summer of 2015 Jackson made a 35 million Euro move to Atletico Madrid, turning down long term suitors Arsenal in the process. Martinez has been on the radar for the London based club for quite a while, so when things failed to click at Atletico for Jackson, it was widely rumored that Arsenal would make another attempt to sign the front man. However, almost out of no where, 3rd February 2016 saw a Asian transfer record fee of 42 Million Euros agreed to bring Jackson to Chinese Super League side Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao. This deal shook the world of football, seeing such a big name, coming from one of the worlds elite in Athletico, moving to China, however this wasn't the biggest deal of the window. 

Liverpool Football Club, the five time champions of Europe, 18 times champions of England, one of the world recognised super powers of the beautiful game, so who'd of thought they'd ever lose out in signing their number one target to a side from China? Well that's what happened. Brazilian attacking midfielder Alex Teixeria has spend the last few seasons letting the world of football know about his ability! With 46 goals in 62 games over the last two season for Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine, it appeared the Brazilian was to follow in the footsteps of fellow former Shakhtar stars such as Douglas Costa, Willian and Fernandiniho to make a big money move away from the club. When Liverpool approached the Donetsk based side about signing Teixeira in January of this year, they where turned down, and told they would have to offer upwards of 50 Million Euros to sign the Brazilian, despite trying to lower the price for most on the month, the English transfer window closed with the deal dead in the water. Alex Teixeira came out and said he wished for the deal to go threw to increase his chances of representing his national team. When the deal didn't happen, it appeared as if Teixeira was very disappointing with this decision and his comments hinted at a move to the club the following summer. However, no more then three days later, the 50 Million Euro price tag set on the Brazilian by Shakhtar had been met, not by Liverpool, but by Jiangsu Suning for a record Chinese transfer fee, meaning the record fee had been broken twice in two days! This deal ran riot in the English media, and made many people who has tried to ignore the Chinese Super League's spending stand up and take notice! A player with such high potential, has moved to the league, after failing to secure a deal to a traditional giant of the game! 

The back to back record transfers saw the Chinese Super League burst into the spot light, with many people questioning how and why this had happened! And then, days later it was revealed that Chelsea had declined a 60 Million Euro bid for Brazilian midfielder Oscar, which would have made him the third most expensive transfer in English football history (After Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid, and Fernando Torres to Chelsea). When this offer came to light, you certainly have to wonder what has caused this sudden influx of talent and this, almost obsession with the game which hasn't been seen before from the Chinese league. Chinese president Xi Jinping announced a goal to create a domestic sport economy worth $850bn by 2025. At the heart of this goal and the accompanying plan is the aim of hosting and winning the World Cup. The influx of money being pumped into Chinese football is of course going to attract many players to get involved in this country wide push, as well as top players coming to China, former England and Manchester City boss Sven Goran-Eriksson, and World Cup winning manager Luiz Felipe Scolari have started managing in the top tier of Chinese football. The increase in both playing and managing staff will see the standard of the league grow drastically, now the overall goal of the Chinese national side winning the World Cup may be very, very, very far in the future but the increase in talent in their top flight can only lead to good things for Chinese football. 


Well the Leicester City owner said he would invest to ensure a top five finish for the foxes, and now they're six points clear at the top of the table, so you never know, in 2026 we may be seeing China win their first ever World Cup! 

Brazil - Whats next for the five time champions of the world?

Football may have been invented in England, but it was given a soul on the sunny shores of Brazil. The Brazilian people changed the way everyone on the planet looks at the beautiful game, and it developed into the most successful national side in the world. 1958, 1962,1970,1994 and 2002, these dates are the five times Canarinho 'the little canary' have been crowned world champions, more then any other side in history. From Pele to Ronaldo, from Zico to Ronaldinho, from Garincha to Rivaldo, from Carlos Alberto to Cafu, the five time world champions have always produced some of the very best the world of football can offer, which has lead to the unmatched success the Brazilians have had over the years. The team from 1970, lead by the genius Pele, is seen as perhaps the best football team in history, club or national side, considering the time period and how much the game has developed since those years, the fact the side is still seen in the same light today only begins to explain how far ahead of their time the national team was. The selecao is also the most successful national team in the FIFA confederations cup, with four titles, 1997, 2005, 2009 and 2013. They are also the holders of the current title. Brazil have won a total of 62 official international titles from professional to grassroots level, which is an unparalleled world record. 

However, since their last title in 2002, the worlds most successful side seems to have struggled on the world stage, which includes being humbled on their own turf by Germany in the 2014 World Cup semi-finals, losing 7-1, the biggest defeat in Brazil's history.
So the question is... what's next for the five time champions of the world? Will we see a Brazilian resurrection, or will the most successful side on the planet plummet into almost insignificance on the big stage.


Heading into last summers World Cup, the hosts Brazil where strong favorites to end their drought on home soil. And despite mainly average performances, they topped their group and overcame Chile in the second round on penalties. The home side then took on another fellow South American side in Columbia, a team many had backed to be the dark horses for the tournament, and with the eventual golden boot winner James Rodriguez, it was possible Columbia could surprise Brazil. However for the first time in the tournament we appeared to be seeing the side many backed to win a sixth world title, with goal from David Luiz and Thiago Silva, the hosts overcame Columbia. However this performance did not come without its prices. Thiago Silva earned a suspension, meaning Brazil would be without their captain for the semi-finals. And even worse, the star of the show, Neymar was stretchered off late on and would miss the rest of the tournament. These absences played a big part in the Brazilians collapse in the semi-final, without their captain or top scorer, they looked out of sync at the back and no threat in attack, eventually being turned over with an incredible 7-1 score line! The aftermath of the crushing at the hands of the eventual champions Germany shows that the five time champions rely far to heavily on a select group of players, and no longer have to depth of class like we're use to seeing come from the country. A loss of just two players had an evidently massive effect on the side, and the Brazilian players did not look capable of competing with the Germans. This correlation continued into the third place play off, still without top scorer Neymar, the hosts had no creativity and no threat, eventually falling out 3-0 losers, ending their tournament by conceding 10 goals in two games, and ending the competition with the worst defensive record out of all 32 nations that competed.

The famous Brazilian teams of old make this newest crop of players seem mediocre, and despite a few stand out stars, such as Neymar and Thiago Silva, it is getting much more evident that this side needs a drastic change if it is to return to where it should be, at the summit of world football.

However it isn't all doom and gloom for the natives of the most successful side in world football history.One player in particular looks set to become one of the most iconic players in Brazilian football history, and perhaps one of the best in the world. This is the man currently holding the famous Brazil number 10, their current highest goal scorer, and a player who has the chance to become the national sides all time leading goal scorer. he may just be 23, but he's been turning heads for years and he could be the player they need to help push the five time champions back to the very top. I'm talking of course about Barcelona striker Neymar! The Barcelona star has really showed the world what he can do, but he has been a prospect on the shores of Brazil for years! Between 2009 - 2013, while playing for Santos in the Liga do Brazil, Neymar scorer 54 goals in 103 games, averaging 0.52 goals a game, an incredible record for someone who started at the age of 16. Neymar also had brilliant success at youth level, especially for the national side. Working his way from the under 17's side to the first team in the space of a year! And his success internationally hasn't stopped in the first team, the current number 10 has scored 46 goals in 67 games which is 0.67 goals a game, another incredible record especially on the national stage. This record makes Neymar the fifth all time goal scorer in the countries history, and gives him the fourth best goal to game ratio, an incredible feat considering the Barcelona front man could have up to 10 years left representing the national side. Neymar is also currently setting the world alight for Barcelona, with 34 goals in 64 games, a amazing record considering he plays out wide, mainly providing for Lionel Messi. There is no doubt that Neymar is a world beater, a future Brazilian footballing legend, and the man to help save the national side.

For the last decade, the Brazilian national side have mainly been relying on the same group of players who, despite their class, have ages and became unable to perform at the level needed for the South American's to compete with the world's elite at the level they should be. However recently the new manager, former player Dunga, has started to integrate a handful of new players into the squad, players who have the potential to help grow the national side and possibly see the Brazilian squad get back to the  pool of exceptional talent we have became accustom to in the last 70 years. Liverpool midfielder Philipe Coutinho is a player who has really gained a lot of attention in the football world recently. With a combination of incredible goals, amazing assists, jaw dropping pieces of skill and an exceptional show of passion, the Liverpool number 10 has earned the majority of his 13 international caps in the last couple of seasons, and the increase in attention has even earned him a nomination for the European golden boy award (eventually won by Paul Pogba). Throughout his career, Coutinho has earned much acclaim from top figures in Brazilian football and has been spotlighted as a future world beater, and at the young age of 23 the Liverpool play maker looks set to represent his country for many years and perhaps help get Brazil back to the glory days in a big way!

One thing Brazil have always had is a ball playing defender, you can go as far back as world cup winning captain Carlos Alberto, scoring one of the best goals in world cup history in 1970 to show how Brazilian defenders play a big part in the sides offence! The most recent member of the squad to adapt this role is David Luiz, but although the PSG defender is loved in his homeland, to fans who aren't natives of Brazil can see he really doesn't fit the bill. One up and coming defender who could fill those shoes is another PSG man, Marquinhos. The former Roma centre back was the most expensive teenager in the world until this summer just gone, and it is easy to see why. He looks incredibly comfortable on the ball, and is able to put in a very strong challenge and fill certain old fashioned defender responsibilities. Marquinhos is a player with tons of potential, and former Brazil captain Thiago captain has taken him under his wing, saying he may be the national teams future captain. This young defender could go a long way to helping the current Brazil side get back to the top.

Recent history makes mostly grim reading for fans of Brazilian football. With their sides consistently struggling to compete with the worlds elite it looked like Brazil could be right in the middle of a baron period for the five time champions. But signs of improvement have started to show recently, Barcelona star Neymar is improving every day and is looking like a possible future Balon D'or is on the cards. The squad is finally getting an injection of life that its needed for years, with players such as Philipe Coutinho leading the new look national team. And the famous ball playing Brazilian centre back looks to have finally returned in younger Marquinhos. Now no one can tell for sure if we will see the same sort of side that Pele lead to immortality in the 1950's,60's and 70's ever again, but one thing we do know is the potential is certainly there. The five time world champions are on their way back to the top table of world football!

Euro 2016 - Can anyone stop the Germans?

The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil showed the entire football world a lot of things. James Rodriguez is destined for greatness, Neymar can produce on the big stage, England are not as good as we all think they are, Spain's age of dominance is over, and that Gary Linekar was right. "Football is a simple game, 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes, and at the end, the Germans always win."

Germany showed the world the quality they possessed by almost effortlessly at times, walking past some of the worlds elite, including crushing hosts Brazil 7-1 in the semi finals breaking many World Cup records in the process, before beating Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final to secure their fourth World Cup title. Portugal, France, Brazil and Argentina are all teams that had high hopes for a successful tournament, and Germany beat all of them clinically and efficiently, typical German football. With the next major tournament being Euro 2016 in France the question is... Who can stop them? That is the question I will be trying to answer today.


The current world champions have consistently been one of the dominant forces in world football throughout the history of the game. Four world titles and Three European championships just starts to describe the impact they've had on the world game. Throughout the years, Germany have produced some of the worlds greatest stars, players that would set the benchmark for other to aspire to, however perhaps a major point in Germany's success over the years is the abundance of talent they have to call upon at any time. Two of the best players ever to represent the German national side where Gerd Muller and Franz Beckenbauer, these two great players featured in the same great german national side which went on to win the 1974 FIFA World Cup, defeating Johan Cryuff's 'total football' giants Neatherlands, with Muller scoring the winner and captain Beckenbauer lifting the famous trophy at full time. This is just one example of German national sides having many world stars in their side at one, even looking at the most recent German side from the 2014 World Cup win, the side included the highest goal scorer in World Cup history in Miroslav Klose who is also Germany's all time leading goal scorer. Lukas Podolski, who is the national sides third all time leading goal scorer and appearance maker, making him one of the most consistent and successful players to represent the country. Philip Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Per Mertasaker who all, like Podolski, have made more then 100 appearances for the national team. Also you have to mention the man who went on the win the bronze award at that years Ballon D'or, Manuel Neuer, the goal keeper who is known as the best in the world. Other world stars such as Thomas Muller, the man who won the golden boot at the previous World Cup (2010 South Africa), Toni Kroos, the playmaker who had just signed for Spanish giants Real Madrid and has made an incredible 60 appearances at the age of only 25! And of course the Bayern Munich star Mario Gotze, the man who scored the winning goal in the final!


Now although a number of first team regulars have retired since last summers World Cup, the German pool of talent has just promoted many future world beaters to take their place. Liverpool defender Emre Can is tipped to be a future world class player, he has recently been called up to the first team in preparation for next years European championships. Marco Reus missed the world cup triumph with injury, but the Dortmund winger is one of the worlds fastest growing player, and he is a tip to star at the tournament. Finally Julian Draxler,the creative midfielder has been tipped for greatest through his entire career, he has already made 15 appearances and scored his first goal for the national side at the young age of 22, the Wolfburg star looks all but certain to be a first teamer for the German's for many years. So... who will stop them?


France. The French are hosting next years tournament and the hosts of major tournaments always seem to have an instant advantage, home field advantage. Despite poor performances at international level since reaching the 2006 FIFA World Cup final, France have a history of winning when it matters at home, with their only World Cup title (1998) being won when they hosted the tournament. A new influx of young talent is making the football world stand up and take note again, after a few years in the wilderness due to not being able to replace their stars who had led to such success in the late 90's early 2000's. The inability to replace Zinadine Zidane, Thiery Henry, Patrick Viera,  Robert Pires, David Trezeguet and many other lead to failures in major tournaments from 2008 all the way through last summers World Cup. However recently the French has been promoting a much younger side, a team including players who are tipped to be future stars and could revive French football.


Juventus youngster Paul Pogba is the winner of the 2014 Golden Boy award, an award with the goal of picking out the next big stars in the world of football. Pogba has been turning heads over the last few seasons with incredible goals and eye catching performances despite still only being 22. Pogba was also awarded with the 2014 young player of the tournament at the World Cup despite only progressing to the Quarter Finals. Pogba looks like he really could be one of the next big things in football, and after receiving many comparisons to French legend Patrick Viera, we could be looking at a future French captain in Pogba. Anthony Marital is now the most expensive teenage footballer of all time, the 19 year old has recently signed for Manchester United for an initial £36,000,000 and despite having critics over the price, the Frenchmen had started the season brilliantly, with four goals in four games, including the final goal on his debut against rivals Liverpool, a goal which earned him comparisons to the great Thierry Henry. Now it is much to early in his career to compare Marital to Henry, but the signs all look promising, and after appearing in both of the recent international fixtures, his first two appearances for the national side, Marital looks set for greatness and could be a star for France in next years championships. Another French youngster to watch for at next years tournament is Chelsea centre back Kurt Zouma. In his first full season with the club he helped them to a domestic double, earning early praise from fellow professionals for his mature performances despite his young age. Zouma has just turned 20 and appears to be improving with every performance, with this season the Frenchman looks like a first team regular for the English champions. A commanding centre back is something France has drastically missed in recent years, and Zouma could be the answer to their prayers.


Could this newly formed side of young talent bring about a change in the footballing world? Could the French be the next side to dominate international football? Only time will tell.


Holland. The Dutch national side is perhaps the biggest under achieving side in history. Considering the 'Total football' style of play revolutionising football and basically inventing the 4-3-3 formation, despite producing some of the best teams and the best players in history, The Netherlands have only ever won one major competition (European championships 1988). To put it into perspective, Holland have lost three world cup finals, the most of any national side to never win the competition, an incredible statistic which just shows how Holland struggle when the pressure is really on. However, their performance at the recent 2014 World Cup could suggest otherwise. Throughout much of the tournament, many people backed the Dutch to be Germany's closest rivals for the title, only eventually losing to Argentina in the semi-finals on penalties when perhaps they deserved to go through. On that basis the Dutch should be able to mount a strong challenge in France... If they get there. Despite being an early front runner, The Netherlands have struggled in their qualifying group as far. Now although they have struggled so far, you'd have to back them to qualify and if they do, the new look Dutch side could mount a real Challenge on the Germans.


The new Manchester United signing Memphis Depay could be a real catalyst of change in Holland, as he is one of the hottest prospects to come out of the country in years. The fee to United is a reported £25,000,000 and he has shown glimmers of the class which made the former Dutch manager Van Gaal spend that kind of money on him. Depay's style of football is one the resembles current Dutch captain Arjen Robben, one of the Dutch's best players over the last decade. If Depay continues with his development and grows up to meet those expectations, he could really help to push Holland to the top of world football. Holland have always been a side with class in abundance, particularly in its midfield, and the current side is no different. With veteran Wesley Sneijder still pulling the strings in the heart of the side, the young future stars of Holland's midfield have one of the very best to learn from. Davy Klassen is a player with a lot of hype surrounding him in the new look side. The Ajax attacking midfielder has had perhaps one of the biggest compliments you can have in Dutch football. Comparisons to Johan Cryuff. Now its far to early in the Holland career of Klassen to be saying he will be as good as the legendary number 14, but hearing those kind of things can only increase the confidence of the people of Holland, that perhaps a new era could be drawing close. One thing you cant do when talking about the Dutch national side is forget to talk about their captain. Arjen Robben. Some love him, some hate him but what no one can deny is that he has been Hollands best player for years, and despite getting older, is still producing the goods for his country every time he pulls on the famous orange shirt. Alongside Robben The Netherlands have a rich collection of veterans still producing for the side. Robin Van Persie, Klass Jan Hunterlaar, Wesley Sneijder and Nigel De Jong are all big names in Dutch football who are acting as teaching for the future of their national team, and keeping these names around for as long as they have mean that the young stars coming through are going to learn about the national side from the best.


Total football. An idea that changed football, but never gained to success it deserved, well maybe the new look Dutch side can finally bring their country the glory it has missed out on over the years.

The final side I will be looking at as a potential team to end the German reign of dominance is a side many teams backed as dark horses for last summers world cup but didn't live up to the hype. Belgium. A team with bags of potential, with a wide selection of stars of the footballing world and players who look like being future world beaters. Belgium have struggled on the world stage throughout most of the history of the game, with their best performance in a major tournament being finishing second in the 1980 European championships. Six years later they where knocked out in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup in the most successful period in the countries football history but the team they have put together now has a possibility of challenging that period.

The 'red devil's' side boasts a strong combination of experienced veterans and young players with potential to be great. We'll start with the captain, Vincent Kompany. The Manchester City captain has lifted two Premier League titles, one FA Cup and one Capital One cup in the last five years so he is more then use to success and brings the winning mentality the side will need. At 29 years old, despite being one of the oldest players in the current team, the skipper is certainly going to be leading his side out in France next year and that could be essential to their success. Kompany received plenty of criticism last season with poor performances, however at the start of this term we're seeing the best of the big Belgian again and it couldn't have come at a better time with Euro 2016 right around the corner. Now onto the man I cant see ending his career without a Ballon D'or to his name, Eden Hazard. The winger has came on massively since his move to Chelsea in 2012, and he is highly regarded as one of the best players in the world. The current PFA Player of the year is without a doubt the Belgium national sides biggest threat, and threat which could see them turn over even the traditional big guns in European football. Despite a slow start to this domestic season, the Chelsea number 10 is without a doubt of of the outstanding players in the world, and on top of that, possess the potential to grow into one of the best in the generation. Hazard could be a catalyst of change for his national side, and lead them to their first major title next year in France. Belgium boast some of the highest potential stars in the world right now, and Kevin De Bruyne is one of the most raved about members of the current side. Despite a unsuccessful spell at Chelsea, De Bruyne has continued to grow, and after regrouping at Wolfsburg, he returned to the Premier League for a record fee of £55,000,000. While watching the midfielder it is obvious why Manchester City spent that money, his play style has earned him comparisons to some of the greatest play makers in football, his game as a whole is a joy to watch and one that looks set to keep improving. De Bruyne proved he can handle himself on the big stage at last summers world cup, scoring the winning goal in extra time again the United States, which is one of seven international goals in his thirty appearances. The Premier Leagues most expensive player could play a pivotal role in Belgium's future success.

With a squad made up of experienced veterans and high potential youngsters, the dark horses of last years world cup could pose a real challenge in next years UEFA European Championships.

If the German dominance is to come to a stop any time soon, these three sides may have the best chance of doing it. One nation under a rebirth, one nation trying to fix their underachieving history, and another trying to get a permanent invited to the top table of world football. At Euro 2016 i personally believe Germany's dominance will continue, however they will be pushed all the way by the hosts, France. France are my pick to end the German dominance over the next few years.

Battle for bronze - Who is the third best in the world?

Football is very much an opinion based sport. Who is the best manager? The best team? The best League? The best national side? These questions and many more in the world of football are up for debate, but one thing is without any doubt, and that is who are the two best players in the world. In the last seven years these two players have won a clean sweep of Ballon D'ors, Lionel Messi (4) and Cristiano Ronaldo (3), these men are by far the two outstanding players on the planet right now, and perhaps two of the greatest of all time. Every year, these two players split opinions on who is the best in the world, both breaking incredible amount of records, and both producing stats that in any other era would be seen as unheard of, yet these two men produce them on a yearly basis.

With Messi and Ronaldo being so far ahead of the rest of the field, the right to be called the third best player in the world has become shrouded in mystery, as no one man has made a claim for that title to be 100% theirs. That is the question I will try to answer today.

 There are many players who can stake a claim to be the third best in the world, players such as Gareth Bale, Eden Hazard, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, James Rodriguez and Andres Iniesta are all players who are right up there, however I will be focusing on the three players I believe are the top contenders for the third place crown. Luis Suarez, Neymar and Manuel Neuer. I will be looking at both team and individual success for these three world stars and try to decide who deserves to be standing next to Messi and Ronaldo at this year’s Ballon D'or ceremony.

 Lets start with the 2014 FIFA World Cup winner, Manuel Neuer. In the 2014 Ballon D'or (won by Cristiano Ronaldo) Neuer placed third, which officially makes him the third best player of 2014, but with those awards being nine months ago, you have to wonder if the Bayern Munich goalkeeper can still claim to be the world’s third best player. When voting for the Ballon D'or, the voters and judges take a few things into consideration, club & country success as well as personal performances. During 2014 Manuel Neuer was a big part of the Bayern Munich side which walked to the Bundesliga title, winning it in record time. His side also reached the Champions League semi-finals (falling out the Real Madrid, the eventual winners) and they finished runners up in the DFB - Pokal (German domestic cup), so on a club level the goalkeeper had a relatively high level of success. But the main contributing factors towards Neuer’s third place finish in the 2014 Ballon D'or was his international success. He was named in the team of the tournament in the 2014, and was also one of the stars of the show in Germany's winning campaign; he also won the golden glove for the tournament. During 2014, and in the couple of seasons before, Manual Neuer has been revolutionizing what it means to be a goalkeeper at the very highest level, playing very much a 'sweeper keeper' role. The unwritten rule over the years is that a goal keeper can never be the best player in the world, but after Neuer's 2014 he was very much within a shout of winning the Ballon D'or thanks to a combination of club & country success and the way he revolutionized his role.

 The next candidate I'm going to take a look at is Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan striker has massively improved his game in the last few years, leading to masses of individual success, and success at a club & international level. At the end of the 2015 Champions League, Suarez was placed second in the UEFA best player awards (losing to Lionel Messi), beating Cristiano Ronaldo who came in at third. Over the past few seasons individual awards have been plentiful for the Barcelona striker, in the 2013/2014 season, while at Liverpool, Suarez picked up the PFA Player of the year award, football writers player of the year award,  as well as finishing joint first in the UEFA Golden boot, with 31 goals. Suarez's Premier league tally of 31 is a joint record, and he did it without taking a single penalty all season, and missing a few games at the start of the season with suspension. But that brings me on to Suarez's weakness, his reputation. Over the years Luis Suarez has been involved in a lot of controversial situations many believe has hindered his individual success in the Ballon D'or, where despite his success in 2014, he wasn't even nominated for the title of the worlds best player. Suarez has been caught biting an opposition player three times, once while at Ajax which lead to an 8 game ban, once while at Liverpool which lead to a 10 game ban, and most controversially in the World Cup game between Italy and Uruguay, which lead to a ban from all domestic football until October, as well as a 9 game international ban. Originally Suarez was not able to attend training due to his ban, as well as being unable to attend charity events, clue projects; he also received a stadium ban, meaning... he wasn't even aloud to be in the club photo! While those extreme simulations where overturned, it remains one of the most extreme bans in football history. Not long after receiving the ban, Suarez was signed by Barcelona for a reported £75,000,000, although the number tends to vary. The season following his transfer saw Suarez play a key role in a historic treble for the Catalan giants Barcelona, and at the start of the 2015/16 season, he has already helped Barcelona secure the UEFA super cup title, taking his tally at Barcelona to four trophies in under a year! At an international level Suarez has also had levels of success, guiding Uruguay to the Copa America title in 2011, in which he won the player of the tournament.  Despite his controversial career, Suarez's levels of success individually and at a club & international level over the past few years, gives him a very strong case for the title of third best player in the world.

 And finally, the third world star I will be looking at today with a claim to the title of the world’s third best player is a player who many believe is one of the most gifted players of his generation, the Brazilian star Neymar. A player who has been hyped for greatness since a very early age, Neymar is very much in with a claim for the title of the worlds third best footballer. Now while Neymar is considerably younger then the two candidates I have looked at so far, he has used his time well and is one of the fastest growing stars in football. Neymar moved from Brazilian side Santos to Barcelona at the start of the 2013/2014 season, for a transfer fee that to this day is still debated, the fee released by Barcelona was 51,100,000 euros, however reports claim that the deal was in fact a world record transfer fee of 130,200,000 euros, however whether this will be proven is a completely different question. At a club level since Barcelona, Neymar has scored 54 goals in 92 games, a very impressive strike rate for a player who spends most of his time on the wings. Like the previous candidate Luis Suarez, Neymar played a very large part in Barcelona's largely successful 2014/2015 season, scoring in the Champions League final and the Copa Del Rey (Spanish domestic cup) final, proving that he has the quality to perform in the big games, a question commonly asked to young players at the biggest stage. As well as success at a club level, Neymar's international success is perhaps the reason he is seen as one of the world’s stars. At just the age of 23, Neymar has played 65 games for his country, scoring 44 goals, placing him fifth on the all-time record of Brazilian goal scorers. Neymar has provided goals for his country at every level, as has proven he can live up to the hype on the biggest stage of them all, the FIFA world cup. In the 2014 World Cup, Neymar won the bronze boot after finishing third top goal scorer with four goals, however Neymar was injured in the quarter final victory vs Columbia, meaning he was unable to complete the competition. Neymar collected four assists in the competition as well and was named in the team of the tournament. Neymar also lead Brazil to the 2013 Confederations Cup title, winning the golden ball as player of the tournament, and winning the bronze boot. Neymar's success at both club and international level shows he is without any shadow of doubt, a world star and at such a young age, he looks set to just get better and better!

 All three of these players have a very strong argument for being the third best in the world. Manuel Neuer's incredible 2014, and the way he has revolutionized the way we look at goalkeepers means it’s impossible to leave him out of this list. Luis Suarez's genius on the ball has lead his club and country to incredible amounts of success, as well as his goal scoring and all round play leading him to the most individual success on this least. And finally the Brazilian wonder kid Neymar, a player without a doubt who was born with a gift, his international record at such a young age is unheard of and he is almost certain to just keep getting better.

 After going over all of the arguments I personally believe that Luis Suarez has the biggest claim to the third best player in the world title, I believe his incredible success at every level over the last few seasons is just too hard to ignore.