Introducing the pretenders (part one)

Unless you've lived under a rock in the deepest jungles around the Amazon, with your eyes and ears closed and have had no contact with any life at all, you will be familiar with Leo Messi.

Actually if that was you, you'll probably still have heard of Leo Messi. And Kaka. And Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba and Cristiano Ronaldo. Such is the power of communication.........and Nike's advertising budget these days.

So with this in mind, we should absolutely, 100% know who will be joining football's top table; before the World Cup kicks off we'll all know exactly where 'the next big thing' is coming from.

Right?

Well, maybe not. In Leo's case it his exploits for Barcelona that have attracted attention, rather than any dominance for his national side. These days showcasing your skills in the European Champions League or the English Premiership is what brings players into focus.

At one time, it was the World Cup where players exploded into football's collective conscience. This was certainly the case for Pelé in 1958, and several others since.

So in 2010, is there still room for players to make inroads to the top table at a World Cup? IBWM thinks so.

Here are some players that you may or may not be familiar with, that could well sparkle in the next few weeks........and some might well end up at a club near you.

Javier Pastore (Argentina) Age 20

We'll start with the familiar surrounds of the Argentina squad for this one. Pastore is an attacking midfielder with a more than decent touch. He has effectively rocketed to prominence in just under two years, firstly with Huracan in his homeland, and last season with Palermo in Serie A. Although he only found the net 3 times, Pastore was really finding his feet in the second half of the season and was hugely influential as his club secured fourth spot. Biggest issue he may have is that he is, more than anyone, in Leo Messi's shadow.......not physically like, that's not possible, but due to them operating in the same 'hole', as it were. Linked left right and centre before Palermo nipped in, they'll stand to make a tidy profit on this one when the inevitable cheque books open.

Angel Di Maria (Argentina) Age 22

Still in this neck of the woods, and this really could be Di Maria's tournament. Finding the net for the first time at full international level just a week or so back against Canada probably shows the shape of things to come. Di Maria has been in outstanding form for Benfica this season, and is a hugely effective crosser of the ball from his left wing berth. He was a matchwinner at under 20 level, and can certainly catch one when he fancies it. IBWM likes lefties, and so do a number of other clubs. Liverpool were sniffing royally around at one stage, although they are more like street urchins with their noses pressed against the glass these days.

Alexis Sánchez (Chile) Age 21

Picked up his first cap as a seventeen, Chile's "El Niño Maravilla" (wonder boy) headed for pizza and pasta at Frankie and Benny's (no he went to Italy really, Udinese in fact) at around about the same time. Sent back to South America to develop further with Colo Colo and River Plate, Sanchez is now finding his feet in Italia. But he's doing a lot more than that at international level, scoring goals galore alongside Humberto Suazo as the sharp edge of a particularly free flowing Chile side.

Yoann Gourcuff (France) Age 23

Still just 23, Yoann has carried the 'new Zidane' badge round for a long time now. Moving to AC Milan just short of his 20th birthday, Gourcuff is a prime example of development stifled at one of the big clubs. It was only when he returned to France with Bordeaux that blossoming kicked in, and a permanent move back to his homeland followed in 2009. He's now the incumbent French player of the year and an excellent attacking midfielder/second striker. Used fleetingly by the outgoing French coach Raymond Domenech, Gourcuff has yet to really step up to the plate. Perfect timing for an in-form player then.

Mesut Ozil (Germany) Age 22

While England basked, and continue to bask, in the glory of that 5-1 win back in 2001, the Germans realised they needed to have a long hard look at themselves. Mesut Ozil is very much the result of a complete national overhaul of junior football upwards, that is now starting to pay dividends. So as England's golden generation starts to fade, Germany's restructuring is now well moved along with several pieces of evidence apparent in Joachim Low's squad. He will ultimately be joined by Muller, Hummels, Kroos, Tasci, Marin and Reus, but it is Ozil himself that is the trailblazer and the midfielder providing the creative spark of the current nationalmannschaft.

6 more next time, let me know of any others you reckon are worth a mention......just don't say Walcott.