10 Champions League players that seem to have left everything in Russia

The 2018 FIFA World Cup was an incredible experience, and a draining one too.

Players gave it their all as they tried to win the ultimate prize for their nation, and whilst only France succeeded there were many individual players who managed to stand out and shine amid all the chaos of the summer’s football.

Having a great World Cup is a huge career boost, because you’ve performed on the biggest stage the sport has to offer. But sometimes players don’t get that boost, instead the energy-sapping (both physical and mental) tournament leads them to crash in the subsequent season.

We’ve come up with a list of 10 players who excelled this summer but have come back to their clubs drained, unfocused or just downright poor. 10 players who truly look like they left it all out there in Russia.

 

Raphael Varane

France and Real Madrid

Raphael Varane was Real Madrid’s most consistent player as they powered their way to a third consecutive Champions League success and he was then an absolute rock at the heart of France’s World Cup winning defence too. His performances in Russia were robotically consistent, yet since returning he has looked a distracted shambles with no positional sense and almost none of the athletic prowess that made him an impassable road block for strikers.

Luka Modric

Croatia and Real Madrid

Luka Modric won the Golden Ball at the World Cup, and it’s hard to argue that any player was better than him out in Russia. The midfielder was resplendent as he helped guide Croatia to their first-ever World Cup final – at 33 it seemed absurd he was able to lift himself so consistently.

But as the club season started back up it was as though Modric had aged three years in those three summer months because now he genuinely looks like a 33-year-old playmaker struggling to get to grips with the pace of games. It’s an absurd drop-off and made all the more ironic by virtue of him being crowned The Best men’s player by FIFA.

Ivan Rakitic

Croatia and Barcelona

Ivan Rakitic was Mr. Dependable, putting in an incredible series of team-focused performances for Croatia. If Modric was Batman, then Rakitic was Alfred, Robin and Lucius Fox all rolled into one. He even bagged two winning penalties in shootouts and was probably the best midfielder on the pitch in the final.

Since returning to Barcelona, however, he hasn’t come anywhere near that level of brilliance. Oh sure, there have been a few stunning volleys and a couple of delicious passes, but mostly he’s looked an overworked and exhausted force.

Diego Godín

Uruguay and Atlético Madrid

Going into the World Cup, Diego Godín was the best defender in the world. At the World Cup, Diego Godín was the best defender in the world (by several orders of magnitude, as well). After the World Cup, Diego Godín is playing as badly as he did for Villarreal back in 2011, back in the days when Uruguay could only perform well if they dropped him. It’s been a steep, sharp fall for Godín – will it last?

Kieran Trippier

England and Spurs

The Burnley Beckham lit up the World Cup with his crossing and set-pieces. Trippier was so often the ignition for England’s chance creation and genuinely looked like he was ascending to world-class status. Since returning to Spurs, however, he’s just been alright in attack and pretty poor at the back.

Aleksandr Golovin

Russia and Monaco

Golovin shook up the World Cup on the opening day with a sumptuous display and he continued to play electric and creative football as the hosts made it all the way to the quarter-finals. This tournament earned him a big money move to France where he has absolutely stunk out the place for Monaco. Never buy off the back of a tournament.

Denis Cheryshev

Russia and Valencia

Cheryshev had a sensational summer as a one-man “goal of the tournament” competition. The winger scored so many sublime goals in Russia that one could have reasonably expected his club career to take off as a result. Well, nope. Not even close. Cheryshev has completed 90 minutes just once and managed only a single goal in 10 games.

Thibaut Courtois

Belgium and Real Madrid

Courtois had a mixed 2017/18 but then a truly magnificent World Cup. His displays were enough to get him into the team of the tournament and win him the golden gloves. This earned him his much sought-after move to Real Madrid, where he has been an absolute dumpster fire. He won FIFA’s The Best goalkeeper award and since then has played 12 games and conceded a ridiculous 22 goals, including twice getting slapped by five. Should have stayed in Russia, Thibaut!

Romelu Lukaku

Belgium and Manchester United

Lukaku was the best striker of the group stages, scoring four great goals to get Belgium to the knockout rounds, where he put in repeatedly excellent team-focused displays. He had an amazing World Cup; but since returning to play for Manchester United he has just looked… well… tired. Part of this is because José Mourinho plays him all the time despite his other attackers needing a different kind of forward, but there’s just something off with Lukaku right now.

Paul Pogba

France and Manchester United

Paul Pogba had a great World Cup, getting better with each passing game of the tournament culminating in a spectacular display in the final where he scored the decisive goal for France. However since returning to Manchester United he simply hasn’t looked the same.

It’s likely the repeated conflicts with killjoy extraordinaire José Mourinho have sapped the happiness and focus he felt when playing for his country. Whatever the reason, we have a superstar midfielder playing at a fraction of the level that he showed capable of in Russia.

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