World Cup 2014: Top 5 young players thus far

At the age of 17, Pele scored a hat-trick against France in the 1958 World Cup – the youngest player to ever do so. Which young players have truly graced this tournament thus far?

It truly is hard to pin point your favorite aspect of this World Cup, isn’t it?  For those who love a plot twist, the demise of Spain surely tops their list.  Many football fans from North America will have appreciated the success of Concacaf, sending three teams into the round of 16.  And in a to make themselves perhaps feel just a little better, England fans will be happy to accept that they crashed out of the tournament just so they could say I told you so.  But for me, personally, it has been a thrill to watch so many young players come to the fore on the games biggest stage.

Whether it has been Divock Origi’s substitute appearances for Belgium, Joel Campbell’s brilliant left sided play for Costa Rica, or how well Stefan de Vrij has helped anchor the Dutch defense, this World Cup has been blessed with one of the largest and most impressive crops of young talent in recent memory.  And while none of the aforementioned make the list,  here is my top 5 list of the best young players in the tournament thus far.