How the World Cup can Influence the Transfer Market

World Cup Players to Shine in the Past

James Rodriguez

Perhaps the most noteworthy World Cup wonder of the past is James Rodriguez. In the 2014 World Cup, the Colombian international won the golden boot with six goals. His strike against Uruguay also won the Puskas Award for goal of the year.

Following the successful World Cup, where Brazil knocked out Colombia in the quarterfinals, James landed a move to Real Madrid. He departed AS Monaco for a fee of €75 million. At Madrid, James won two La Liga titles and two Champions League medals.

Enner Valencia

Another player to shine in the 2014 Brazil World Cup was Enner Valencia. The Ecuador international scored three times in the opening two fixtures. He was signed by West Ham for €15 million from the Mexican club Pachuca. The player had a spectacular World Cup and has also opened his scoring in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, with two goals in the opening match against the host nation.

Gilberto Silva

The final superstar to shine from the World Cup finals was Gilberto Silva. The defensive midfielder played every minute of the 2002 World Cup campaign that resulted in a Brazil triumph. He adopted the name the ‘Invisible Wall’ as he made countless tackles and interceptions and had an unbeatable stamina. Silva was quickly signed by Arsenal from Atletico-MG for a fee of €9 million. He went on to appear 250 times for the Gunners and won a Premier League title.

Potential World Cup Wonders in the 2022 Qatar World Cup

Cody Gakpo

One of the most exciting prospects at the 2022 Qatar World Cup is the Netherlands forward, Cody Gakpo. The PSV Eindhoven striker was linked with a move away from the Eredivisie in the summer, but it failed to materialize. In Qatar, Gakpo will be looking to put himself in the transfer market again, particularly as the bigger clubs may sign him up.

Going into the World Cup, the youngster has an impressive form of 36 goals and 39 assists from 105 games in the Dutch first division. He opened the scoring for the Netherlands in their 2-0 win over Senegal. It is rumoured that PSV will demand a transfer fee of around €45-50 million to prize the 23-year-old away from the Dutch team.

Moises Caciedo

A player that is likely to get a lot of attention is the Moises Caicedo. The defensive midfielder of Ecuador is only 21 years old and currently plays for Brighton and Hove Albion. The players was signed by Brighton for only €4.5 million but has been improving in the Premier League week-by-week. If he manages to have a successful World Cup campaign with Ecuador, he could be a target for bigger clubs.

The main attributes that Caicedo possesses are breaking up the play, relentless running and an incredibly stamina. The player is not known for his flair ability but rather as a powerhouse. It is estimated that Brighton will demand a fee in excess of €85 million for the youngster, but this may only be paper talk.

Ikoma “Lois” Openda

The Belgium national football team made a surprise admission of Openda, who has only had four caps to his name before the tournament started. Openda is a 22-year-old forward that plays for the French Ligue 1 team, Lens. Although it is unlikely to see the youngster start, he could force his way into the team by contributing from the bench.

Openda has been known as the “super sub” for both club and country. Only two weeks before the 2022 Qatar World Cup started, the young striker came off the bench to score a hattrick against Toulouse. In addition, he also scored his first ever Belgium national goal after coming off the bench against Poland. It only took Openda seven minutes to open his goal scoring for Belgium.

The main attributes to give to the player is that he is a pace merchant. Openda usually plays off of the last defender and makes runs in behind. This season alone, he has scored seven goals from 14 games for Lens. It is rumoured that the French club will demand a fee of around €50 million for the player.