World Cup 2014: Predicting 15 Up-and-Coming Stars of the Tournament in Brazil

It seems like just yesterday, we were watching Andres Iniesta score the game-winning goal that led Spain to victory in the 2010 World Cup.

And we've got a Pan-American Games, UEFA Euro competition and the London Olympics to go before the 2014 World Cup, but we thought we'd start getting everyone hyped now. With so many rising stars in the football world right now, it's exciting to think what they'll do when it's time to head to Brazil in 2014. 

So get out your samba shoes, start researching good football-viewing bars and break out the vuvuzelas (actually, don't). Here are our picks of 15 young up-and-comers who will make serious strides in the 2014 World Cup. Nations with nominees are based on those who made it to the group stages for the last World Cup.

If we forgot anyone you think we should be keeping an eye on, have at it in the comments section.

Lucas Rodrigues Moura Da Silva (Brazil)

Neymar who? The 19-year-old São Paulo attacker has speed, creativity and a work ethic and has had seven caps for Brazil before the age of 20. A product of two of Brazil's top youth academies, Corinthians and São Paulo, Lucas has already proved himself in international competition at the youth level and even made the Copa América squad. By the time the World Cup comes around, he'll be a juggernaut.

There's a reason he comes with an insane buyout clause.

Also worth watching: Talented attacker Paulo Henrique Ganso, now 21, has been compared to Kaká and sought-after by many a big European club for January. He has yet to score an international goal for Brazil, but give him a few more years on the pitch and he will dominate. 

Oh, and some guy named Neymar. He's supposed to be really good, or something. 

Mario Götze (Germany)

'Super Mario' has been all over this site lately as a sought-after transfer target for January following a cracking breakthrough season at Borussia Dortmund. A visionary force on the midfield who helped bring the BVB their first Bundesliga title since 2002, Götze also holds the joint record for being Germany's youngest international goal scorer alongside Klaus Stürmer. 

Having worked his way up Germany's youth international squads, Götze is no stranger to international competition, and his bouts in the Euro group stages and Borussia Dortmund's Champions League campaign this year will help bolster his experience at the senior level.

Also worth watching: Mesut Özil was just 21 when he made a splash in South Africa, becoming a key part of the attack with some fantastic goals and assists and getting nominated for the Golden Ball. By 2014, he'll be a major leader for the German side. 

Javier Hernández (Mexico)

The man known as Chicharito has already made a name for himself in the footballing world thanks to a phenomenal breakout season at Manchester United and what looks like a strong follow-up this year.

The 23-year-old striker comes from a long line of Mexican internationals—his father, Javier Hernández Gutiérrez, was a former striker for El Tricolor and reserve coach who quit his job to watch his rising son (see what I did there?) play at the 2010 World Cup and his maternal grandfather, Tomás Balcázar, played in the 1954 world cup for Mexico.

As mentioned before, Chicha already has a World Cup under his belt, and his breakneck speed on the pitch proved valuable for Mexico. But his international breakout came in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2010, where his cracking goal scoring led El Tri to victory in the final against the United States and he was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

By the time 2014 rolls around, he'll be well into veteran status and a role model for future Chicharitos. 

Erik Lamela (Argentina)

Lamela will have to compete with a lot of big names for attention playing for Argentina, among them Gonzalo Higuaín, Sergio Agüero, Ángel Di María and, of course, Lionel Messi. But the 19-year-old attacker was a shining star at a struggling River Plate—although he could not save them from relegation, he did lead them to a solid performance in last year's Apertura. 

Lamela will definitely need more international experience before heading to Brazil in 2014, and he'll get a chance to prove himself with his new club, AS Roma, after he recovers from an injury. But once he's fit and has had more time on the pitch, he'll be a lethal force for the blue-and-white.

Brek Shea (USA)

His profile is rising rapidly as one of 'Klinsmann's Kids,' the nickname given to the young players on the U.S. Men's National Team's squad. The 21-year-old FC Dallas winger has been praised for his versatility and precise ball-handling and he has been a key factor in the Texan side's MLS success as well as some strong performances in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Most of the USMNT's biggest current stars (Clint Dempsey, Carlos Bocanegra, Landon Donovan, Steve Cherundolo) will be well into their 30s in 2014, which means Klinsmann's Kids will be taking their place in the lineup over the next couple of years. Expect Shea to be among them.

Also worth watching: Strikers Jozy Altidore and newcomer Juan Agudelo should be a tough goal scoring force in Brazil.

The Brothers Ayew (Ghana)

Much like other great footballing siblings (Gary and Phil Neville, Yaya and Kolo Touré), Jordan and André Ayew play together, in this case at Olympique de Marseille and for the Ghanaian national team. 

André, a 21-year-old winger, made his mark in the 2010 World Cup by setting up Asamoah Gyan's game-winning goal that sent the Black Stars to the quarterfinals and he is expected to be the heir apparent to veteran star Sulley Muntari.

Jordan, a 20-year-old striker, has a bit more competition for the first team at the moment with the likes of Gyan, Prince Tagoe and fellow talented upstart Dominic Adiyiah, but he'll have more experience on the pitch over the next couple of years.

How great would it be if Jordan scored a goal on an assist from André? That's the stuff YouTube highlight-reel videos are made of.

Jack Wilshere (England)

Versatile and full of talent beyond his years, Jack Wilshere may be sidelined with a long-term ankle injury at the moment, but when he's fit, England pays attention.

After rapidly making his way up the youth international ranks, Wilshere impressed Fabio Capello with his Three Lions senior squad debut back in February in a friendly against Denmark. The normally box-to-box midfielder played in a holding position and adapted well to unfamiliar territory, helping England along to a 2-1 victory.

A fan favorite at the Emirates, where he impressed last year in his breakthrough season at Arsenal, Wilshere will likely win over international fans as well in Brazil.

Also worth watching: Manchester United's new kids on the block—Danny Welbeck, Phil Jones, Tom Cleverley, Chris Smalling—are already favorites of Fabio Capello and with the old guard of the England squad beginning to fade, they may become the new core by the time the next World Cup rolls around. 

Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon)

Aboubakar has represented Cameroon in the Francophone Games and the 2010 World Cup, all before his 20th birthday. Already a hometown hero thanks to his stellar debut season for Cameroonian club Cotonsport Garoua, the striker is working his way up the ranks at Ligue 1 side Valenciennes.

Quick in pace and reserved in resolve, but with a powerful finish, Aboubakar raised eyebrows during his debut season, and his talent made him a hot prospect for recruitment.

With his star rising in Europe and some significant international competition experience already under his belt, Aboubakar may help lead the Indomitable Lions to a great run in Brazil.

Shinji Kagawa (Japan)

Kagawa, a 22-year-old attacker and second striker for Borussia Dortmund, has become a fixture for Japan, scoring a couple of key goals in their ultimately victorious run in the 2011 Asian Cup.

Already a fan favorite at Dortmund for his 'prophetic' pair of goals against Wolfsburg in their Bundesliga derby, Kagawa has proved himself a valuable playmaker with persistence and speed. He's got a Champions League campaign with Dortmund to go (among other things) before he can even think about 2014, but he's established himself as one to watch for Japan.

Alan Dzagoev (Russia)

Dzagoev, a 21-year-old attacker for Champions-League-ready side CSKA Moscow, is a hard worker and persistent presence who has earned the respect of his peers. 

His upcoming battles in the Champions League and the Euro 2012 competition, for which he already scored a qualifying goal for Russia against the Republic of Ireland, will be key in testing his experience and ability in international play, but his commitment and skill will likely see him through on to Brazil.

Juan Mata (Spain)

Alright, so he's hardly up-and-coming, but he's definitely making the transition from on-fire talent to mega-star.

Mata is no stranger to the World Cup, playing a key role in Spain's qualifier and group stage gains (as a substitute for his current Chelsea teammate, Fernando Torres) in 2010, where they would eventually be seen in the winner's circle. 

A versatile and deadly attacker who can play wide or centrally and a cohesive part of any offense, Mata proved indispensable at Valencia and a rapidly rising star at Chelsea. He had trouble seeing action among the giants of La Furia Roja in 2010. But now, as he continues to make some big career strides, his path seems to be heading in the direction of the Spain spotlight in 2014.

Ji Dong-Won (South Korea)

Sunderland striker Ji Dong-Won, 20, is already a force on the international circuit, winning over Black Cats boss Steve Bruce after his stellar performance at the 2011 Asian Cup, where he scored four goals and helped earn South Korea a third-place finish. He's scored in two-thirds of his appearances for South Korea and is starting to show signs of life at Sunderland. 

He's got potential and a lethal strike, and with South Korea looking to finish well in Brazil, he may be a key asset to their success.

Davide Santon (Italy)

The Azzurri will be looking to recover from a disappointing run in South Africa in 2010, where, after taking a win in the previous tournament, they finished at the bottom of their group. 

Now, under new management and looking strong so far in the Euro 2012 qualifiers, the Azzurri are on their way back to top form.

One player who can help them get there is 20-year-old full-back Davide Santon. Praised for his versatility, ability to play wide and energy, Santon has earned the admiration of stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and comparisons to the likes of AC Milan star Paolo Maldini. 

Although injury and some troubled performances plagued the young star during the end of his run at Inter Milan, Santon is starting over at Newcastle United and will have a few years to rebuild. If he can stay fit and maintain his versatile defensive game, he'll be a great contributor to the Italian defense. 

Sebastián Coates (Uruguay)

The 20-year-old hero of the Copa América dubbed 'Luganito' ('Little Lugano') by fans, Sebastián Coates has been hailed as a rising talent following a stunning performance that led La Celeste to victory in the competition.

His prowess at Club Nacional, where he moved up the ranks to become a starting centre-back, caught the eye of Kenny Dalglish, who signed Coates to Liverpool in the August transfer window. Now working on cutting his teeth in the Premiership, Coates should be seasoned and ready to face all sorts of playing styles by the time he gets to Brazil, where he will certainly bring power and an imposing frame (he's 6'6"!) to the Uruguayan defense.   

Also worth watching: Abel Hernández, the 21-year-old Palermo striker nicknamed 'The Jewel,' contributed to his side's upset over AC Milan earlier this season. He's scored in three of his eight appearances for Uruguay and could be a heir apparent to an aging Diego Forlán. 

Yann M’Vila (France)

Les Bleus will be back with a vengeance in 2014 following a disappointing showing in South Africa, where they didn't make it past the group stage, losing twice. 

But with the next generation of French players—the Samir Nasris and Karim Benzemas of the world—now securing places at the forefront of international football and gaining experience across Europe with some heavy-hitting clubs, expect the French team in Brazil to be a much more dominant force.

One contributor to a strong run in 2014 could be 21-year-old defensive midfielder Yann M'Vila, another popular January transfer target and something of an institution for Les Bleus already, having worked his way through the youth squads and impressing at the senior level.

M'Vila has proved an exemplary midfielder, especially in his quick, precise passing game—he completed 92.5 percent of passes in a recent friendly against Luxembourg, a national team record.