Candidates for best of World Cup announced

The France duo and Netherlands rising star have been nominated for the prize following ther performances at the World Cup
Paul Pogba, Raphael Varane and Memphis Depay are the three nominees for the Fifa Best Young Player award for World Cup 2014.

The accolade is open to World Cup participants born on or after January 1 1993, from which Fifa's Technical Study Group will select a winner after the final.

Pogba, who won the Golden Ball prize for the best player at the 2013 Under-20 World Cup, starred in France's midfield and scored the opening goal during Les Bleus' 2-0 win over Nigeria in the round of 16.

Varane started all but one of France's five tournament games in the centre of defence and showed signs of a return to his very best Real Madrid form from the 2012-13 campaign, though he was arguably at fault for Mats Hummels' winner in the quarter-final against Germany.

After beginning the World Cup as a substitute and entering the record books as Netherlands' youngest ever goalscorer against Australia, PSV star Depay cemented his place in Louis van Gaal's plans when he scored the second in the 2-0 win over Chile. Depay then became his country's youngest starter since 1938 against Costa Rica.

Lionel Messi, Neymar and Arjen Robben are among the nominees for the Golden Ball award for best player at the World Cup, while Manuel Neuer, Keylor Navas and Sergio Romero will battle for the Golden Glove prize.


/Goal.Com/