Leaderboards are one thing.

Because some of them are based on very subjective impressions, they offer reliable material for discussions.

Toni Kroos also felt this some time ago.

The 2014 world champion counts among the best midfielders of the moment a young man who many consider to be talented but who is certainly not one of the best yet.

What is meant is Federico Valverde, called Fede, 24-year-old Kroos team-mate at Real Madrid.

The relationship between the two men is special.

Valverde has never made a secret that Kroos is his big role model.

When he read the praises, he immediately addressed the German.

"I have the best teacher," he announced on social media.

At Real Madrid, Kroos can regularly take his student and admirer by the hand, at the World Cup Valverde has to do without his teacher.

No problem so far;

in the midfield of two-time world champions Uruguay, Valverde exudes a danger for the opponents with a self-confidence reminiscent of Kroos.

Against South Korea (0-0) he was always wanted by his team-mates and in the last minute of regular time it was he who summoned up the courage to force a possible win.

His long-range shot put the ball on a good course, it bounced off the crossbar.

Gone is the dream of victory, three points.

"We know it wasn't a good game from us.

Also because we played far too slowly,” says Rodrigo Bentancur, who plays a little behind Valverde in midfield.

This Monday against Portugal (8:00 p.m. CET in the FAZ live ticker for the soccer World Cup, on ARD and on MagentaTV), Uruguay’s game must improve, a defeat would put the selection badly behind in this balanced Group H, which still includes South Korea and belong to Ghana.

Four years ago, at the World Cup in Russia, Uruguay and Portugal met in the round of 16.

Uruguay won 2-1, Valverde watched it on TV at home.

The coach at the time, Oscar Tabarez, had not taken him with him, even though he had been named the second best player after Englishman Dominic Solanke at the U20 World Cup a year earlier.

But then it became clear that Uruguay, this small country with such a surprising number of world-class players, would send a new star into the orbit of world football.

Midfielder of modern character

He was born in the capital Montevideo, played there for the traditional club Peñarol and was still part of the professional team as an A-youth, with which he won the championship in 2016.

Then, at just 18, he moved to Spain to join Real.

There he first played in the second team, was loaned to La Coruña, returned after a year and made the jump to Real's professional squad.

What the club sees in him, he made clear in the summer by selling the Brazilian Casemiro to Manchester United.

The transfer made room for Valverde, whom Real's officials see as an important building block in building the team for years to come.

Valverde has everything that characterizes a modern-day midfielder.

He is physically robust, assertive, has a good opening and passing ability, a keen sense of space and is also a goal threat.

So much so that his club manager made a daring announcement.

"If Valverde doesn't score ten goals this season, I'll resign," said Carlo Ancelotti.

So far it doesn't look like the Italian will have to vacate his office as Valverde has already scored six goals in the league less than halfway through the season.

Whose comment: "I don't want to be responsible for the coach leaving."

Valverde is also a cloak of words, but not a chatterbox.

In his podcast "Einfach mal Luppen" Toni Kroos remembered the first encounter with the young man.

“I noticed straight away that he was a great guy.

Very quiet and humble.

That's what I liked most about him," Kroos said.

Just like in Madrid, Valverde also appears with the national team.

"His personality hasn't changed as a result of his success in Europe, he's remained exactly the same good guy," says coach Diego Alonso.

Similar to Ancelotti, he likes to put Valverde in the half position of his 4-3-3 system, with Bentancur playing in the center in front of the defence.

"He already showed strong performances there in qualifying," says the coach.

Now it's about enjoying Valverde's qualities.

There can't be a better stage for that than a world championship.