Soccer Transfer Rumors Update: Which Stars Increased Their Value at the 2014 FIFA World Cup?
Every four years, a number of stars break out at the World Cup and become hot items on the transfer market.
Four years ago, Thomas Muller and Mesut Ozil were two of the major stars in the tournament. This year, a number of other players made names for themselves and are likely to become popular on the market. Here are the teams that helped their stock during the World Cup.
James Rodriguez
The most obvious player to break out at the tournament was Colombia's attacking midfielder.
Rodriguez not only took the reins of a team that lacked its star player, but made everyone forget about Radamel Falcao. Rodriguez scored an astounding six goals in five games, including a glorious volley against Uruguay in the quarterfinals. His pace and drive made Colombia a fierce transitional side that was fun to watch. He is reportedly headed to Real Madrid, which is as big as it gets for any player.
Sami Khedira
The German was injured for most of the 2013-14 season, thus leaving him as a bit of an outsider with Real Madrid. But any team that was hesitant about taking him off the reigning European champs' hands is no longer in that position. Khedira shone for the reigning World Cup champions and was especially brilliant in his final performance against Brazil. His passing was terrific throughout that match, and he even managed to score a goal.
Keylor Navas
Costa Rica's goalkeeper was arguably the best keeper in the entire tournament. He made over 20 saves during his five matches and kept his team alive in games that it had no business competing in. His performance against the Dutch was especially brilliant and has made him a prime target for Real Madrid.
DeAndre Yedlin
The young American had a terrific debut tournament for the USA. He played with tremendous space down the right flank and always made the safe play. He was arguably the United States' top outfield player against Belgium, and his young age indicates that he can only grow from here.
Guillermo Ochoa
The Mexican goalie is a free agent but will undoubtedly find work somewhere. Ochoa did not have a great 2013-14 season in France, but he turned a ton of heads with a fantastic performance in Brazil. He made eye-opening saves in every single match he played, but none was more brilliant than the six-save masterclass he put up against the host nation Brazil. Mexico could have easily lost that game by more than two goals, but Ochoa ensured that El Tri remained level with the Samba Kings.
Daley Blind
The Dutch shocked the world by destroying Spain 5-1 and topping Group B before finishing third overall in the entire tournament. But it did not get off to a terrific start. Spain was in control of the game throughout most of the first half and was looking like the team that would score the second goal of the game. However, the Netherlands' wingback Daley Blind ensured that that never happened as he made a terrific cross to Robin Van Persie behind Spain's defense; the striker dove at the ball and head it past Iker Casillas to tie the game. Blind was arguably the most impressive Dutchman besides Arjen Robben throughout the tournament, and his speed down the flanks and his terrific long balls made him a major asset for the European side.
Xherdan Shaqiri
The Swiss forward had a terrific World Cup, which included a hat trick against Honduras and a plethora of other solid scoring chances. He currently plays at Bayern Munich but rarely gets time to come off the bench and contribute alongside the team's other major superstars. His performance on the big stage should certainly attract attention; Shaqiri will also be willing to listen if it means getting more time to play.