The World Cup has provided great players with a platform to cement their legacies over the course of its illustrious history. The likes of Andres Iniesta, Mario Gotze, and Paul Pogba achieved international fame as a result of creating moments that will linger in the minds of all those who witnessed them forever. There are some who make a name for themselves early in the knockout stages and in the group stages, but not everyone makes it to the finals. Some of the players who have made an impact on the world's biggest stage include Costa Rica's Joel Campbell, Mexico's Hirving 'Chucky' Lozano and Guillermo Ochoa, and Colombia's David Ospina. The following is a look at five stars who may be the hidden gems of the World Cup in 2022.

Shuto Machino - Japan

During his career, Shuto Machino has represented both Shonan Bellmare and the Japanese national team as a striker. As a replacement for Yuta Nakayama, he was called up for the national team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. There is always something entertaining about Japan at World Cups that they attend. They usually wear unique kits and feature a variety of players who play in Europe as well as those who play in the J-League. As evidence of this, they won 2-1 over Colombia to qualify for the round of 16 in Russia. The current bet is that Shonan Bellmare striker Shuto Machino will do the business for the Samurai Blue. Most people are unfamiliar with Machino, but his record in the J League is very impressive for a 23-year-old. The fact that he has scored 13 goals in 30 appearances this season speaks for itself, and over the course of his international career, he has contributed three goals in four games. It is impressive that Machino has a 21% goal conversion rate, which is comparable to that of Aleksandr Mitrovic (16%), Harry Kane (22%), and Ivan Toney (24%). It is one of his characteristics of Machino that he is ambipedal, using both feet when he creates chances and shoots. Considering that he is part of a two-man attack, Japan is likely to line up similarly next week.

Jakub Kaminski - Poland

Jakub Kamiński is a Polish professional footballer who represents the Polish national team as a left winger and the Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg as a wing center. As one of Poland's youngest players in the World Cup squad, Jakub Kaminski was born in 2002. Despite Kaminski's goal and assist tally not setting the world alight, he could be valuable to Poland as they prepare to compete against Mexico, Argentina, and Saudi Arabia. Along with Robert Lewandowski, he has created 0.79 goals per 90 minutes, and his aggressive nature to win back the ball is impressive as well. Around 40% of his tackles occur in the final third, making Poland's left-wing a dangerous location for the ball to travel. When necessary, he can fill in as a number 10, but his tendency to drive wide with the ball will cause him to look for crosses into the box rather than beating a player. There is a challenging task ahead for Poland, but Kaminski could serve well as a high-work-rate attacker who can assist their talisman in the forward position.

Enzo Ebosse - Cameroon

As a defender for the Serie A club Udinese, Enzo Jacques Rodolphe Ebosse plays for the club. His nationality is Cameroon, and he represents his country internationally. The Cameroon national team will return to the World Cup for the first time since Brazil in 2014 and find themselves in a group that includes Brazil, Serbia, and Switzerland. The group could be one of the trickiest of the tournament, and they will need a strong defender to deal with some of the talented attackers they will face. It is Enzo Ebosse who steps forward. As much as he enjoys breaking the lines with long passes, Udinese's center-back loves stopping shots. He ranks third among players who have played more than five games in Serie A this season with 2.35 blocks per game. At While he may spend much of his time under pressure at Udinese, he is tall enough to clear the box of aerial threats and possesses the necessary skills for dealing with possession when it has been recycled. The winger prefers to use his left foot for long passes, which will be crucial if Cameroon wishes to play with a target man like Vincent Aboubakar or Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. The Ebosse possesses an aura reminiscent of the Harry Maguire of 2018. As a result of his tendency to move the ball up the pitch by running with it, he is often able to win fouls in the penalty area. In the attacking third, he has a touch rate of 7.39 per 90 minutes, which places him among the top 8% of Serie A center-backs, as well as receiving an average of 0.82 progressive passes. The results confirm that he is an effective option for his teammates. The team from Cameroon has their work cut out for them, but we expect Ebosse to perform admirably in Qatar.

Joe Scally - USA

Scally is an American right-back who plays for Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach and the United States national team. It is likely that Joe Scally will be a name that you will hear a lot in the coming months, as he has settled into life in the Bundesliga very well. He attained fame in the United States when, at the age of 15, he became the youngest professional football player in the country, the earliest to do so since Freddy Adu in the 2004 Major League Soccer SuperDraft. It was after spending two years in the City Football Group machine of New York that his services were snatched up by Borussia Monchengladbach. Die Fohlen has barely missed a game since he joined the team. Scally is a tough, battling right-back who has the advantage of being 6 feet tall, and he is likely to make an impact at this World Cup in place of Sergino Dest. It is clear that Dest is a capable attacking option for the US national team, but he has fallen out of favor at Barcelona and lacks the playtime that Scally has enjoyed this year. His tactical acumen enables him to make frequent overlaps and inverted runs for his winger, and he is known for getting a shot away so do not be surprised if you see him test a goalkeeper or two. It is important to note that his percentage of tackles on dribblers this season is 80%, substantially higher than the Bundesliga average of 63% for full-backs, and he has won the fewest aerial duels in the league, on average averaging only 0.28 per match.

Jesper Lindstrom - Denmark

A Danish professional footballer known as Jobbe, Jesper Lindstrom plays for the Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt and the Danish national team. In November 2020, Lindstrom made his full international debut for Denmark against Sweden. Jesper Lindstrom of Denmark could steal the show as another representative of the Bundesliga. Having won both the Danish Superliga and Europa League, Lindstrom has been an integral part of Eintracht Frankfurt since the summer of 2021. Christian Eriksen has demonstrated his tactical flexibility throughout the season at Manchester United and has the opportunity to represent Denmark at the World Cup. As a result of Eriksen's expanded role for Denmark at this World Cup, a spot may be available for Denmark's future number 10. The Swedish forward has played 1350 minutes for Frankfurt in both the Champions League and Bundesliga this season, scoring seven goals against an expected goal total of six. With the chances he is getting, his xG is currently 0.5 per game, which means he is expected to score at least every other game. In order to create chances, he tends to shoot himself when the opposition is in the way, forcing a deflection or the keeper to parry rather than catch. Among every attacking midfielder and winger in the Bundesliga this season, he has the highest number of goal-creating actions via shots and dribbles.

By Rashmi Goel