Vitinha was threatening the top 10 during the last set of B/R Ballon d'Or rankings, but the Portuguese has fully joined the conversation after the Club World Cup. To get an idea of the 25-year-old's influence on the French champions, consider the 771 passes he made during the tournament with an accuracy of 94 percent, per FIFA.

Soccer’s international governing body staged a halftime show that hinted at its cultural aspirations for next year’s North American–hosted World Cup proper. The president made sure to intervene in the entertainment.