Take an Oscar: The impact of the World Cup and the lesson ahead of the transfer window - voila! sport

The youth team players celebrate qualifying for the semi-finals of the World Cup (Photo: Israel Football Association)

FIFA World Cup 2017. Venezuela, South America's weakest soccer country and the only one from that region to never participate in a senior World Cup, stunned soccer fans with a gallop to the final in South Korea. In only its second appearance at the FIFA U-20 World Championship, Venezuela started the tournament with a 0-2 victory over powerful Germany, finished the group stage with all nine points and without conceding, went through Japan and the USA in extra-time and beat Uruguay on penalties in the semi-finals, before surrendering in the final to a goal from England's Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Those sensational three weeks have turned Venezuela's young players into hot commodities in the transfer market. Ángel Herrera had already been bought by Manchester City five months earlier and Adalberto Peñaranda had played for Malaga on loan from Watford, but from that moment on, their domestic league teammates were also in high demand. The wonderful goalkeeper Wilker Fariñas was sold to Mijonarios from Colombia, despite many offers from Europe, William Velázquez arrived at Watford and Ronald Hernandez left for Norway. Striker Sergio Córdoba, who scored four times and provided the goal of the tournament against Mexico, was bought by German side Augsburg, who paid Caracas one million euros.

Dor Turgeman presented his own nomination for the beautiful goal of the current World Cup, with a spectacular solo effort in Brazil that gave Israel an astonishing 2-3 in extra-time. It was only his second goal of the tournament, but his great performances increased interest around him and the fantastic victory goal was broadcast all over the world and of course raised the price tag. Will the striker and the rest of the national team know how to strike the iron while he is hot and leave for Europe as soon as possible?

A contract extension will raise the price tag, but in any case must leave for Europe as soon as possible. Dor Turgeman (Photo by Getty Images, Eurasia Sport Images)

In modern football, where second- or third-level teams also have scouts in every corner of the world and in general we can all be exposed via the Internet to any child who bounces a ball in a remote country, most talented young people are discovered even before international tournaments. Still, there are still those who disappear from sight and suddenly make the leap forward. In the Mondialito, for example.

Venezuela in 2017 was one example, certainly one that parallels Israel as a fairly negligible football country. Serbia 2015 is a different example. It's a country known for its growing talent and its adult players have glorified the big leagues for decades. Still, on the eve of the tournament, only three of its players belonged to teams from higher leagues. Predrag Rajkovic and his teammates surprised by winning the World Cup for the first time since the dissolution of Yugoslavia, and in an instant everyone was staring at the Serbian diamonds.

Raikovic was bought two months after the World Cup by Maccabi Tel Aviv for 3 million euros, and only advanced two years later when he was sold to French club Reims for 5 million. His partners also immediately left the domestic league and dispersed across the continent: Ivan Chaponić was sold to Benfica for a similar amount, Milan Gaić was bought by Bordeaux, Saša Zedilar moved to Olympiacos, Serjan Babic to Real Sociedad and Mate Gacinovic to Frankfurt. Big name Sergej Milinkovic-Savić, who already played for Belgian Genk, moved to Lazio for €12 million and became a star in the Italian league as well. A real exodus.

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Progress through the stages after winning. Predrag Rajkovic with the 2015 FIFA World Cup (Photo: GettyImages)

The question of price, of course, also concerns the current status of each player. Turgeman, for example, is entering the final year of his contract, so his price tag is low and remains constant. He is currently valued at only 200,7 euros and Benfica, for example, wanted to add him on loan with an option, but if he signs a new contract at Maccabi Tel Aviv, it is not inconceivable that European teams of the size of the Portuguese champions will also be willing to pay high sums relative to the Israeli market, similar to the 15 million euros that Red Bull Salzburg invested in the acquisition of Oskar Gluch last January.

In the previous World Cup, held four years ago in Poland, for example, the prices of Uruguay's stars soared, despite their team's elimination in the final eight. Darwin Núñez, then still a striker in the domestic league, was sold following the tournament from Peñarol to Spanish side Almeria for €25.34 million. A year later, Benfica paid €80 million for him, and two years later sold him to Liverpool for €11 million. His friend Brian Rodríguez also soon became a first-team player and was bought that summer for $5.2019 million by MLS's Los Angeles FC, which also signed a pair of players from Ecuador who finished third in the tournament: defender Diego Palacios and midfielder José Cifuentes.

Senegal's players also took advantage of the previous World Cup to break into consciousness. Amadou Sania led the team with four goals, including the fastest goal in the history of the factory, and signed a month later for Club Brugge, which paid a small fee to Senegalese club Cure Pot. A few months later, Yusuf Baghi was bought as well, while Dion Luffy was picked up by French side Reims, Porto got their hands on Formoz Mendy and Barcelona took Moussa Andiaye (albeit only to the reserve team).

The stars of 35 were already taken. Erling Haaland arrived in Salzburg even before the World Cup and was already hot there, goalkeeper Andrei Lunin led Ukraine to the win and belonged to Real Madrid at the time and Kang In Lee of the South Korean finalist was in Valencia. Rafael Leao, who at the time was a young substitute for Lille, scored only one goal and was eliminated with Portugal in the group stage of the World Cup, but was subsequently bought by AC Milan for €<> million.

The price tag has gone up time and time again. Darwin Núñez at the 2019 FIFA World Cup (Photo by Getty Images, Wojciech Szubartowski/PressFocus/MB Media)

The one that should serve as a warning light is the 2013 model Ghana. This team thrilled at the World Cup a decade ago, finishing third, but its heroes, some of whom were exploited by agents who did not necessarily prioritize the professional future of their players, made the wrong choices and were quickly forgotten.

Ebenezer Asifwa was considered that summer to be the most glamorous diamond. The striker scored six goals in a tournament in Turkey and his name has been linked with many top teams, but in the end he signed for five years with Swiss side Sivan (for only 800,29 euros) and never made it to the big league. Today, at the age of 2017, he is back to tearing up nets - in the Malaysian league. His friend Clifford Aboagi, who was ranked third among the tournament's top performers (behind Paul Pogba and Nico Lopes), was then sold to Udinese, who immediately sent him to Spanish sister Granada and in recent years has been playing in Mexico. Frank Achiampong then moved to Anderlecht, did not break through and since 2013 has been playing in China, and Richmond Boachi, who belonged to Juventus at the time, we got to see here in a Beitar Jerusalem uniform.

On the other hand, other players who impressed (albeit a little less) at the 5 World Cup knew how to use the event as a springboard. Colombian Juan Quintero was bought by Porto (€4 million for half the ticket) and Croatian Ante Ravic moved to Fiorentina for €2 million. Mexican Jesus Corona started his European career at Twente, Greek Kostas Staplidis signed for Bayer Leverkusen and even Stipe Fritza was bought for €5.<> million by Chelsea and began a career outside Serbia during which he also arrived at Maccabi Tel Aviv.

The team's new heroes should follow suit. Oscar Gluch (Photo by Getty Images, VLADIMIR SIMICEK/AFP)

The players of the Israel national under-20 team must take advantage of this opportunity as soon as possible - when their name is warm and the memory is fresh. "Make an Oscar," if you will. No one but Gluch went to Europe after last summer's Euro success.

In order for the senior team to have a chance to stun the world like this in a major tournament, our football needs as many representatives as possible in the top leagues. Or at least in our Premier League leagues. An early move to Europe will benefit the player as an individual and Israeli football as a whole.

• sport
• Israeli football
• Israeli national teams

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• Mondialito
• Dor Turgeman