10 Players You’ve Never Heard Of Who Could Star At World Cup 2018
2. Juan Fernando Quintero (Colombia)
Juan Fernando Quintero actually scored a goal for Colombia at the last World Cup, but his achievements were greatly overshadowed by fellow countryman James Rodriguez, who won the Golden Boot for the competition with 6 strikes in total. However, after that World Cup, Quintero's career seemed to take a real nosedive.
He had an unsuccessful loan spell in France and couldn't find a way to break into the first team at Porto. He seemed to be getting distracted with the celebrity lifestyle of a professional footballer and fans feared he might fail to fulfill all of his potential. Fortunately, a return to South America helped to reinvigorate Quintero, as he scored 13 league goals for Colombian side Medellin and had a great spell at Argentinian side River Plate too, earning his way back into the national side.
James might get all the plaudits, but Quintero is one of Colombia's most talented players and has, in the past, been compared to Messi for his ability to read the game and play clever through balls. If he can perform at his top level, he'll be a big player at this tournament.