International football seems to have a new lease of life after what has been a thoroughly entertaining year. At the heart of it has been some great teams, players and goals. But which Manchester United stars have impressed the most on the global stage?
In a year when we had the 21st FIFA World Cup and the inaugural UEFA Nations League, some of the most talented footballers on the planet were able to show off their skills.
For some teams, like England, Croatia and Netherlands 2018 was a year in which they were reborn and put the scars of their gloomy past behind them.
For others, like Spain, Germany and Argentina, it felt like the end of an era. Perhaps the Argentina side had been declining steadily for some time but the rather abrupt downturn in form of the two European giants felt like the curtain coming down on two great teams.
A World Cup year is always special. But this year more than any over seemed to really give the international game a boost. Perhaps as an Englishman, I wouldn’t be writing this if the Three Lions recent World Cup misery continued and we hadn’t of made it past the group stages.
But even the sides who you would say performed below their usual standard in tournaments were involved in some cracking games. Take Spain and Portugal, both who would have liked to get past the Last 16 round but were involved in perhaps the game of the tournament in their opening fixture.
A scriptwriter couldn’t have written a better ending than Cristiano Ronaldo netting his hat-trick from a free kick to equalise with two minutes to play against their nearest rivals.
And from the most iconic football competition to the newest, the UEFA Nations League. Which so far looks as though it may be transforming the international football fixture card for good. Less of the drab friendlies against teams with their second string XI playing and more top battles with something worthwhile competing for.
The future looks bright, as do some of Manchester United’s finest when they step onto the turf donning their national team colours. Here are United’s top five best international players of 2018.