RIO DE JANEIRO — Golden ball winner Argentine captain Lionel Messi was not included in FIFA Best XI of the World Cup Brazil 2014. Defender Marcos Rojo was the only Argentine in the ideal starting line-up.
Germany ended Sunday night holding the golden trophy in their hands at the Maracanã and it seems only fitting that one of their World Cup winners should have finished the tournament at the top of the FIFA Index too.
Toni Kroos is the man in question and his success is a reflection of his impressive body of work over Germany’s seven-match road to glory. Kroos is one of three Germany players in the final top 10 with Mats Hummels and Müller. The Netherlands are the other team with three players in the top 10 and it is no surprise to see Arjen Robben in second place. The two other are Stefan de Vrij and Ron Vlaar.
The highest-placed player from beaten finalists Argentina is left-back Marcos Rojo in ninth. The Sporting Clube de Portugal defender contributed manfully to a superb defensive effort in Brazil by La Albiceleste which – if ultimately unrewarded – brought a national-team record of 485 minutes without conceding for goalkeeper Sergio Romero prior to the heartache of Mario Götze’s late strike in Rio. Messi finished in 11th place.
The final top 10 is as follows:
Toni Kroos, Germany (9.79); Arjen Robben, Netherlands (9.74); Stefan de Vrij, Netherlands (9.7); Mats Hummels, Germany (9.66); Thomas Muller, Germany (9.63); Karim Benzema, France (9.6); Oscar, Brazil (9.57); Thiago Silva, Brazil (9.54); Marcos Rojo, Argentina (9.51); Ron Vlaar, Netherlands (9.48).
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