Nearly 800 players arrived to Brazil with the dreams of representing their respective nations with immense valor. Some succeeded. Others did not, and while there have been a myriad of quality players this World Cup, only 11 will be recognized.
Below is the official Sports World News World Cup Best XI, spearheaded by head coach Louis Van Gaal.
World Cup Best XI (3-1-4-2): Navas; Vlaar, Gonzalez, Silva; Mascherano; Cuadrado, James, Messi, Robben; Muller, Neymar. HC: Gaal.
GK Keylor Navas (Costa Rica)
Honorable mentions to Tim Howard, Guillermo Ochoa and Manuel Neuer, but Costa Rica doesn't reach the quarterfinals for the first time in their history if not for Keylor Navas. The 27-year-old leads all goalkeepers with a 91 percent save percentage.
CB Thiago Silva (Brazil)
One idiotic yellow card kept Thiago Silva from playing in the semifinal against Germany, but there's no denying the totality of his performance this World Cup. The 29-year-old averaged 5.1 clearances and 2.3 interceptions per match, all while having to cover for a meandering David Luiz.
CB Giancarlo Gonzalez (Costa Rica)
Giancarlo Gonzalez was the anchor of a Costa Rican defense that only conceded two goals in the World Cup, the fewest of any team. In five starts, the 26-year-old averaged 9.4 clearances and 2.2 interceptions per match.
CB Ron Vlaar (Netherlands)
Ron Vlaar was the Man of the Match in the Netherlands' elimination against Argentina. The 29-year-old played above his club form, finishing the tournament with 55 total clearances.
DM Javier Mascherano (Argentina)
Protecting the back line and providing a link to the midfield, Argentina's Javier Mascherano is leading the tournament in tackles (28) and has completed 460 of his 509 passes (90.4 percent).
LM Juan Cuadrado (Colombia)
Pace and power down the channel was provided to Colombia by Juan Cuadrado. The 26-year-old is the leading the tournament with his four assists.
CM Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Four goals and averages of 3.5 key passes, 6.5 successful take-ons and 2.7 fouls drawn per match. Enough said.
CM James Rodriguez (Colombia)
James Rodriguez: The star of the tournament. The World Cup's best player still leads all goalscorers with six, but no statistic could capture the jubilant flair of his game.
RM Arjen Robben (Netherlands)
Even at 30 years of age, Arjen Robben proved to be the fastest player in Brazil. Much of the Netherlands' attack was generated from the 4.8 take-ons he averaged per match.
ST Thomas Muller (Germany)
No World Cup Best XI is complete without a member of the German national team, so why not the team's leading goalscorer? Thomas Muller (5 goals), however, still needs two goals against Argentina to retain his Golden Boot.
ST Neymar (Brazil)
A world rested on his shoulders. He carried it as far as he could. A fractured vertebra kept him from participating in the World Cup semifinal, but Neymar still finished the tournament with four goals and 3.4 successful take-ons per match.
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