Depay, Pogba and Varane make up Hyundai Young Player Award shortlist

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FIFA’s Technical Study Group (TSG) today released the shortlist for the Hyundai Young Player Award, featuring three up-and-coming performers that have starred at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™.

The accolade continues the tradition of officially recognising the positive impact made by young footballers, and is open to all participating players born on or after 1 January 1993. The winner will be selected by the TSG and unveiled on FIFA.com after the World Cup Final.

The emergence of young footballing talent on the global stage is one of the joys of any World Cup and Brazil 2014 has been no exception.

These burgeoning stars may have already been relatively well-known prior to the opening ceremony in Sao Paulo, but there is little doubt that the three nominated for the prestigious Hyundai Young Player Award have earned new admirers during the tournament for their carefree and refreshing styles of play, as well as their surprisingly mature tactical nous.

The Hyundai Young Player Award is one of the official FIFA awards and is selected by the TSG, a FIFA-appointed group of top football coaches and analysts, whose director Jean-Paul Brigger is a former Swiss international, Swiss domestic league champion (with Sion) and the country’s Player of the Year in 1992. He is also a five-time winner of the Swiss Cup and was named Swiss Coach of the Year in 1995.

The nominees for the Hyundai Young Player Award at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil are as follows:

Memphis Depay (NED): Fresh from an excellent season with PSV Eindhoven, Memphis Depay has confirmed his growing reputation at Brazil 2014. After coming off the bench during the Netherlands’ second match with Australia, the Moordrecht native made a crucial impact, netting a goal and setting up another; in doing so, he became the most youthful Dutch goalscorer in World Cup history. He then got on the scoresheet once more as the Oranje defeated Chile in their third and final group game. Pacey, unselfish and clinical in front of goal, Depay was again used as an impact substitute versus Mexico, before becoming the youngest Dutchman to begin a World Cup encounter since 1938 against Costa Rica in the quarter-finals, completing his journey from rising star to established starter in the process.

Paul Pogba (FRA): Although he is still only 21 years of age, Paul Pogba is already one of France’s key players. The Juventus star gained his first taste of international success last year at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey, where his skills and subtlety of touch helped Les Bleuets to emerge victorious from the competition and enabled him to earn the adidas Golden Ball award. In Brazil, the energetic midfielder showed the full array of his talents, including an opening goal in Les Bleus’ Round-of-16 clash with Nigeria. Having firmly established himself in the side, Pogba is likely to be one of the first names on France’s teamsheet for many years to come.

Raphael Varane (FRA): Absent from the 2013 U-20 World Cup due to injury, Raphael Varane nevertheless enjoyed a successful club season in Spain and on the continental stage. The Real Madrid player confirmed his wunderkind status at Brazil 2014, where he performed admirably at centre-back in a French defence that conceded just three goals in the tournament. Composed on the ball, quick and aggressive in the challenge, and accurate when passing from the back, the imposing 21-year-old is the epitome of the modern defender. While many fans in Europe were already aware of Varane’s potential, the World Cup has provided a platform for him to prove it to the entire planet.

Varane and Sakho: Young commanders

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With eight goals in the 'for' column and having served up some lovely attacking interplay, France's front line of Karim Benzema, Olivier Giroud and Co has earned plaudits aplenty from the outset at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™. The last time Les Bleus had been this prolific at this stage of the tournament was way back in 1958. Until Blerim Dzemaili's 81st-minute strike, Didier Deschamps's side even looked on course to surpass the country's biggest win at the World Cup, dating back to the 7-3 thrashing of Paraguay 56 years ago. But what derailed this potential new record? The departure of centre-half Mamadou Sakho through injury undisputedly had a role to play.

"I felt some pain after going in for a tackle, but I'm OK. I'm going to have a good rest and then tomorrow the medical staff will examine me to see exactly what the situation is," the defender tells FIFA.com, the broad grin on his face instantly dispelling any fears that the problem is anything serious. "It's true that we backed off a bit; we dropped our level somewhat and Switzerland really had a go. We went on to concede twice and all credit to them, but we played our game and stayed focused from beginning to end, and that's what we should take away from the match."

The team are looking strong: it's always easier when everyone on the team is fully committed to doing their bit defensively

Mamadou Sakho, France defender

The Liverpool stopper makes a convincing case and Switzerland's two goals should not detract from the quality of France's performance. It would be unfair to dwell on these minor hiccups or to point the finger at Laurent Koscielny, who put in a combative display after coming on. Nevertheless, it is hard not to draw a link between the piercing of the French rearguard and Sakho being taken off, as until that point he and his fellow young commander Raphael Varane had run an impressively tight ship at the back.

Age is just a number

"I don't think composure only comes with age. Personally speaking it's something I've always had; I think it's something natural," reflects Varane, 21, in an interview with FIFA.com. "Mamadou and I just try to do our best for the team. It was a fantastic performance, we put them under a lot of pressure and played with a lot of intensity. When I say 'we', I'm talking about the whole team, not just us centre-backs." True as that may be, despite France having racked up a 3-0 lead by half-time – something Les Bleus hadn't managed at the World Cup since 1978 – it was the two men at the heart of defence who took centre stage.

The young pair took no prisoners at the back, as epitomised by the crunching challenge in which Sakho picked up his knock. On top of that, they had an impact going forward, with Varane the architect behind France's third goal, playing a fantastic ball into space for Giroud, who then crossed for Mathieu Valbuena to fire into the empty net. "It's true that our partnership was on song, but it was a great display across the board," Sakho stresses. "The team are looking strong: it's always easier when everyone on the team is fully committed to doing their bit defensively."

Being able to call on such a talented couple of central defenders certainly helps, too. Having tried out various different combinations before giving the pair their first outing together in the second leg of the Brazil 2014 play-off against Ukraine, in Sakho and Varane Didier Deschamps has found a pair who dovetail superbly. While the former is a feisty, rugged left-footer, the latter is a right-footer with a rangy frame and a cool head. Together, they form a wall that is extremely hard to breach: "We get on very well both on and off the pitch, but I don't think the focus should be on our partnership," Varane hammers home. Any team looking to taste victory against France, however, will have to do just that in order to find a way past the pair.