The 2018 FIFA World Cup has arrived.
The first round of group stage fixtures is already over, with every single one of the 32 World Cup nations competing at least once already and boy, has the tournament created drama.
Russia got the World Cup off to a thrilling start when it wowed crowds with a 5-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in the curtain-raising game on June 14, before tournament favourites like Argentina and Brazil failed to register a win. Germany, the 2014 World Cup winners, even lost.
But who are the key players after round one?
Business Insider has put together a power ranking of the 23 best soccer players in Russia so far in the tournament, using statistical data from number-crunching soccer site whoscored.com. The website grades players based on how the individual performs relative to his position, and ranks each player out of a maximum score of 10.
i have 20 on my list, so i"d start from 20;
England got its opening World Cup match off to a winning start when it beat Tunisia 2-1 in Group G.
Really, it was a result the country may not have achieved at any period in the last 10 or 15 years, so it is testament to this team's grit that it was able to get the job done.
England midfielder Kieran Trippier was the most reliable creative presence as the 27-year-old pulled most of the strings with three dribbles, six goal-scoring opportunities, and seven crosses. Give it up for England's midfielder, we hope to see more of your fascinating and assuring personality in Russia.
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