Which player has had the most impact on the 2014 World Cup?

It was not the reigning Ballon d'Or Cristiano Ronaldo who only managed one goal in three games in what is probably his final World Cup. It was not Neymar, who despite being a Brazilian icon, will no longer play the remainder of the tournament due to injury. Lionel Messi, widely considered the best in the world, has had a solid tournament but has not really captured headlines in recent matches.

None of this headline grabbers have dominated the World Cup the way a young 22-year-old Colombian player known as James Rodriguez did. Rodriguez scored six goals in his first five World Cup games and made up for the absence of Colombia's star striker Radamel Falcao.

After defeating Uruguay and progressing to the quarterfinals, Rodriguez noted that Colombia was making history. The country had never won more than a single game at the competition and had never progressed beyond the Round of 16. The Rodriguez-led side won four games and made it to the fifth game.

All the while, Rodriguez became one of the few players to score in five straight World Cup matches, and by the end of the tournament, he could wind up with a few trophies. He is probably the best candidate to win the Best Young Player award for his six strikes and two assists. Those six goals remain unmatched in this tournament, and it is possible that they will remain the most scored by any player in this World Cup, thus giving Rodriguez the Golden Boot.

Rodriquez also is probably a lock for a spot on the team of the tournament and could still win the Golden Ball for the tournament's best player. This latter one is a bit of a long shot as the winners of the award have all come from semifinalists throughout the year. In fact, the Silver Ball, which goes to the second best player in the tournament, has also been given to a player on a semifinals squad each and every year that the award has been handed out; the bronze ball has followed the same formula with one exception -- in 1986, Preben Elkjær Larsen won the bronze ball despite Denmark failing to make the top four.

History is meant to be broken, and the mark that Rodriguez has made on this tournament has been massive by all accounts and he may still claim one of these top three prizes. This has been thoroughly aided by the fact that none of the remaining finalists really have a major standout. Messi has led Argentina far with four goals, but his performance has been a mixture of a disappearing act for long stretches with few moments of effective brilliance.

Brazil's Neymar is out of the running and no one else has had a consistent tournament. The Germans have succeeded by committee (though underwhelming at times). Only Holland's Arjen Robben has made a substantial case for winning the top award and he is the likely man to win it. Rodriguez can probably consider himself a lock for the Bronze ball as Messi is likely to get the Silver Ball.

The bad news is that the world has lost Rodriguez, but the good news is that he still has two more World Cups left in his prime. By the time Russia comes around, he will be at the start of his prime (which considering his recent play could be an amazing step), and by 2022 he will be in his best form if everything goes according to plan. Just imagine the ceiling.

Recent rumors have him making a move to Real Madrid alongside Falcao and this could be a double-edged sword. On one hand, he will be able to refine his skills on a top team and continue to play in top competitions. But this move could also create a number of problems for the superstar.

First of all, Rodriguez will not be the top man at the Santiago Bernabeu. Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale are already the main men there. In fact, with the glut of superstars on Real Madrid, one would wonder whether Rodriguez would have a consistent starting position. What is Madrid going to do with Isco, who plays a similar position as Rodriguez? What about Angel Di Maria who was arguably the most consistent player for the team this past season?

And then comes the question of pressure.

Rodriguez was a superstar on the world's largest stage, but playing for a world-renowned club like Real Madrid with pressures of winning the Champions League and Spanish League every year are very different from the expectations that Colombia had. Rodriguez and Colombia were known for having fun on the pitch because they did not enter with tremendous pressure.

There is no fun in Spain's capital. Only victory is acceptable.

But then comes the idea of fatigue.

The Spanish League goes longer than most other European leagues, meaning that Rodriguez would have less time to recuperate before major summer tournaments with Colombia. The fact that Madrid is expected to make a deep run in the Champions League and Copa del Rey could prove even more problematic. Rodriguez will have to endure lengthy tournaments in the next few summers as Colombia is primed to play in the Copa America in 2015 and 2016; if they win the 2015 Copa America then they would compete in the 2017 Confederations Cup.

If Colombia qualifies for the 2018 World Cup (which is likely considering their performance in the recent tournament), then Rodriguez would be competing in major tournaments every summer leading up to the World Cup. When is he going to rest? Injuries set in when there is a lack of rest and it is possible that the promising superstar could burn out quicker than many hope.