Was Arjen Robben the best player at this years’ World Cup?

Arjen Robben is a name known to all football fans. Love him or hate him, but you simply can’t ignore him. The Dutch forward, who plays his club football for German Champions Bayern Munich, is one of the most talented players in the world as of now. He was instrumental in helping the Germans complete the treble last season, scoring in the Champions League final, and was a goal scoring threat throughout the latest season as well.

For his country, the Netherlands, he has been one of their icons, a star of the golden generation that saw them reach the finals in the 2010 World Cup. And, along with fellow veterans Robin van Persie and Wesley Sneijder, he was expected to help them win the greatest prize of them all this time around.

Handed a tough group in the 2014 campaign, featuring defending champions Spain and South American side Chile along with wild cards Australia, the Netherlands needed to bring their best game right from day one. And they did this in style, humiliating Spain 5-1 in an encounter that was a rematch of the 2010 final. The game started badly, with Spain taking the early lead, but then a spirited Oranje comeback saw them put five past Casillas. Robben contributed two, one of them a brilliant goal that saw him sprint with the ball from the half line, cutting past several players before slotting home. The sheer pace and dribbling skills he showed on the ball were breath-taking, and it felt as if he was much younger than his 30 years.

In the next game against Australia, he opened the scoring with another mazy run from the half line coupled with an accurate finish. He was a constant threat both on and off the ball and easily the best player for the Netherlands. Against Chile as well, Robben was the player to watch, as his sheer energy and dribbling skills made him a nightmare to mark. He set up his team’s second goal with another of his trademark runs down the flank and ensured that the Oranje qualified from the group stages unbeaten.

The round of 16 saw the Netherlands take on Mexico, in one of the more controversial games of the tournament. Trailing by a goal with less than five minutes to go, the Netherlands rallied and staged a late comeback taking the game 2-1. Robben was crucial in this since he won a penalty late into injury time that was converted by Huntelaar for the win. However, this was overshadowed by accusations of diving, something that he admitted to doing during the game but not for the decisive penalty. If not for the diving incident, the match would be remembered for another strong display by the forward, who won the game for his team with his skill and trickery on the ball.

The quarter finals saw Netherlands face Costa Rica, one of the most well-disciplined sides in the tournament. The threat Robben carried was clearly demonstrated by Costa Rica choosing to have him marked by two men at all times. This was a clear sign of respect for the pacy winger, and even though they did manage to keep him quiet for large portions of the game, the Costa Ricans eventually lost the penalty shootout, in which Robben scored the second spot kick for his team.

The luck of the Dutch ran out in the semi-finals however, as they lost to Argentina in another penalty shootout. Robben converted his kick this time around as well, but was unable to prevent his team losing. In the third place playoff against Brazil, Robben was again at his best, breaking through the Brazil defence in the third minute and winning a penalty that van Persie converted to give his team the early lead.

While this tournament has seen some outstanding individual performances, Robben is right up there with the likes of Muller and James Rodriguez in terms of impact on the field. While the Golden Ball eventually went to Lionel Messi, Robben was handed the bronze ball, a sign that his performances were crucial for his team. Perhaps if he was not embroiled in the diving controversy, he might have gotten even more. In the end, Arjen Robben remains one of the best players in world football at the moment.