It's a long winded title, but it covers everything. Everyone focuses on Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar etc. so I thought I'd look at 5 players who have gone under the radar but still have the capacity to star at the World Cup.
Josip Drmic - Switzerland
Josip Drmic has the ability to lead Switzerland into the next round at least, after demonstrating his goalscoring ability in the Bundesliga last season for Nurnberg, who ended up being relegated. Drmic managed to earn himself a move to Bayer Leverkusen though, and he will show why in Brazil. He's almost certain to start for Switzerland, and with games against France, Honduras and Ecuador, he could grab a few goals and make a name for himself.
Izet Hajrovic - Bosnia & Herzegovina
Izet Hajrovic is a winger who currently plays for Galatasaray and Bosnia & Herzegovina. Whilst the attention will be focused on Edin Dzeko, Miralem Pjanic and Vedad Ibisevic, Hajrovic could well prove to be one of the heroes for Bosnia at this summer's World Cup. Their opening game against Argentina is the toughest they will face, with Nigeria and Iran the other two teams they have to negotiate in Group F. Hajrovic scored the winner in a recent friendly against Mexico, and can supply the ammunition for Dzeko and Ibisevic as part of the only team making their World Cup debut this year.
Jefferson Montero - Ecuador
Jefferson Montero is part of the Ecuador team, playing on the left side of midfield. He provided the cross for their opener against England recently, and has pace and tricks in his locker. He can even play on the right side of midfield, but his club and his nation prefer him on the left, where he is able to cut inside. His shirt name on FIFA is 'Baby Jeff'. How awesome is that? He'll be out to make a name for himself in Brazil for his football though, something he is more than capable of.
Eder Alvarez Balanta - Colombia
Eder Alvarez Balanta is one of the new kids on the block. A Colombian defender, he plays for River Plate in Argentina and has only picked up a couple of caps for his country so far. He's likely to play alongside Mario Yepes, who is 17 years his senior. Despite Falcao missing from the tournament, they still have a formidable attacking line up, with the likes of Jackson Martinez, Carlos Bacca and Adrian Ramos all still being present, as well as having a fairly decent midfield with the likes of Fredy Guarin, Juan Cuadrado and James Rodriguez, but the one area that they are perhaps lacking is defence, which is where Balanta has to step up and be solid. If Colombia are to make it far in the tournament, Balanta will have to be one of their key men.
Karim Ansarifard - Iran
Finally, a man with a plan from Iran hoping to do what he can. Yes, it's everyone's favourite, Karim Ansarifard. He is a 24 year old striker who is on the books of Persepolis, one of the biggest clubs in Iran, but he spent last season on loan at Tractor Sazi who came 6th in the top division in Iran and won the Hazfi Cup, the Iranian equivalent of the FA Cup, and was named the player of the tournament. Ansarifard hit 14 goals in 28 league appearances, as well as 2 in the cup run and 1 in the Asian Champions League against Al-Ittihad. He's hoping to use the World Cup to earn a move to Europe, and after being given the number 10 shirt by Iran coach Carlos Quieroz, it looks like he'll be Iran's main striker at the tournament. Whether they can progress is a different matter altogether though.
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