Xherdan Shaqiri

If Switzerland are going to shed their reputation as World Cup party-poopers, then their impish winger Xherdan Shaqiri is the man to do it.

Fun is not a word usually associated with Switzerland's national team, who have scored five goals and conceded one in their last seven games at the World Cup, yet it is something the 22-year-old Kosovo-born player thrives on.

Cheeky and instinctive, the Bayern Munich player looks like he might have learned the game playing on the streets of South America and, at 1.69 metres, has the same squat figure as some of Argentina's more impetuous players.

Enormously difficult to dispossess, Shaqiri's habit of running at the opposition, turning and firing in a quick shot or cross with his left foot creates a sense of danger every time he has possession. At Bayern, he has also learned the art of threading incisive balls in between defenders.