Now that the confetti has finished raining down in Moscow and an outstanding World Cup has come to an end, it's time to take one final look back at Russia 2018 and crown our award-winners, including the tournament's best player. We were all spoiled with football at its finest over the past month, and there was no lack of excitement or drama in what was a truly compelling FIFA World Cup 2018. There was star power galore at the onset of the tournament, most notably, the two men that have been the best players on the planet for over a decade now in Argentina's Lionel Messi and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo. Brazil's Neymar was fit and ready for the tournament after a serious injury in January and many had him pegged as the golden boy that would lead Brazil back to glory when this competition first kicked off.

While the global superstars were in full-force, it was a whole other batch of stars that immerged throughout this World Cup. Argentina were an utter disappointment, barely scraping through the group stage before being thoroughly out-played in their defeat to France in a Round of 16 match that wasn't nearly as close as the 4-3 scoreline would suggest. Germany was even more of a disappointment and failed to progress out of the group stage for the first time, providing one of the early shock story-lines of the tournament.

Cristiano Ronaldo announced himself immediately when he scored a hat-trick for Portugal in their 3-3 draw with Spain in their opening match on the tournament's second day. He was the difference in their second group stage match against Morocco with his goal in the 4' being the only tally in the 1-0 victory. While Ronaldo's star shined bright throughout the group stage, Portugal were undone by a more balanced Uruguay side in the Round of 16 and the world's two greatest players were both out of the tournament before the Quarter-finals. Ronaldo none-the-less finished tied for second in goals scored for the tournament with 4 and deserves his mention in the group of best players in the tournament.

Neymar, and the constant drama surrounding him, turned more comical than anything in the tournament, as he came out of the competition looking more like a drama queen than the savior of Brazil due to his flamboyant and over-the-top antics on the pitch that led to a countless number of memes and other hilarious depictions on the internet.

While Messi and Ronaldo were exiting the competition early, and Neymar was busy rolling around on the ground, several other players were stepping up and providing some truly outstanding performances. None announced his presence more than 19-year old breakout star Kylian Mbappe of France. He was the difference in France's Round of 16 victory over Argentina and his run past everyone up the right side early in the match was a thing of beauty - truly a moment to behold. He didn't stop there, as he caused problems the entire match and announced himself to the World in the biggest of moments. His two goals put the cap on the 4-3 victory that sent Messi and co. packing. He utterly dominated the match and put the whole world on notice that there is a new star in world football.

While France's Mbappe was certainly the tournament's breakout star, there were several other players that left their imprint on Russia 2018. Without further ado, it's time to finish up our coverage of the 2018 World Cup with our Awards picks, focusing on the best player of the tournament, best young player, and recapping the top goal scorers for the competition.

                    GOLDEN BALL (awarded to the tournament's best player)

NOMINEES:

Eden Hazard (Belgium) 3 Goals 2 Assists

OUR LIST OF GOLDEN BALL FINALISTS: (in order)

Eden Hazard (Belgium) ☆

Luka Modric (Croatia)

Kylian Mbappe (France)

Harry Kane (England)

Antoine Griezmann (France)

Romelu Lukaku (Belgium)

Paul Pogba (France)

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

Edinson Cavani (Uruguay)

Other Awards:

GOLDEN BALL: Harry Kane (England) 6 Goals 0 Assists

SILVER BALL: Antoine Griezmann (France) 4 Goals 2 Assists

BRONZE BALL: Romelu Lukaku (Belgium) 4 Goals 1 Assist

GOLDEN GLOVE: Thibaut Courtois (Belgium) 3 Clean Sheets

BEST YOUNG PLAYER: Kylian Mbappe (France) 4 Goals 0 Assists