"A player like N'Golo (Kante) facilitates you the game. In fact, he is everywhere. Sometimes, I'm not going back in defense and I know he is here. He has 15 lungs, he helps the team so much."
These are the post-match comments of Paul Pogba, who has had the absolute privilege of playing alongside the almost machine-like N'Golo Kante at the World Cup, this summer.
It's clear as day that Pogba knows exactly how important the Chelsea midfielder is to France's chances of winning the World Cup as they face Croatia in the final on Sunday afternoon.
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Is he the best defensive midfielder in the world right now?
His energy and work rate is second to none. The man might just have 15 lungs, as stated in the opening quote. He's that bloody good.
To put Kante's performances in the group stages into perspective, he made 27 recoveries this tournament. Only one French outfield player has managed to reach that tally in 2010 or 2014.
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And that was after just two games. Absolutely remarkable.
Kante made 14 recoveries against Australia in their opening game of the competition, according to Opta, and 13 recoveries against Peru on Thursday afternoon.
If you watched the match you'll know exactly why everybody is raving over the tireless midfielder.
Kante's heatmap in the opener against Australia is quite remarkable. He covers so much ground and the fact that he completed 93% of his 55 passes in the tie proves he's more than just a runner.
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The guys over at SofaScore compiled his stats throughout both games and they are a joy to read.
Thoughts on Kante's performance at the World Cup so far? Is he the best defensive midfielder in world football?
Let us know in the comments.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Football News, Football, Midfielder, Croatia, World Cup, France, N'Golo Kante
