5 Candidates For The 2014 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot

3. Neymar

The hopes and dreams of a nation lay heavy on the shoulders of Brazil striker Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior. More commonly known as Neymar, the 22-year-old is an icon in his homeland of Brazil and the main man amongst the Samba stars. The fact that he is the only Brazilian athlete to have ever been featured on the front cover of TIME magazine is a testament to the level of expectation from this young man. Another Barcelona player, his record breaking move from Santos last summer saw him become the clubs ninth most expensive signing at ‚57 million. His goal scoring for Brazil has been prolific since making his debut in 2010. With 33 goals in 51 games for the national side, Neymar sits joint seventh in the all time scoring charts for Brazil alongside legends like Ronaldinho and Jairzinho who took nearly twice as many games to reach that feat. His first season at Barcelona was a trophy less one, so the charismatic striker will be hoping to help his South American side win the World Cup for the first time since 2002 in Japan and Korea.