50 World Football Players to Watch in 2012

The year 2012 is only a few weeks away, and there are many players that should be on people's watch lists for the coming new year.

Not only is the second-half run in of 2011-12 happening, the 2012 UEFA European Championship takes place over the summer, as do the Olympics. Each contest is likely to have players going all out to be their best in hopes of being called up for their respective national teams over the break.

Here is a not-so-short shortlist of 50 players that you should definitely check in on from time to time during the next calendar year.

From Juan Mata to Mats Hummels, both sides of the ball are covered, and if there is one you would like to discuss I hope you will add his name to the comments section below.

Ajax Amsterdam's Miralem Sulejmani is quickly making a name for himself in the Eredivisie. The 23-year-old Serbian has already scored 11 goals out of 20 appearances in all competitions that includes the six games of Ajax's UEFA Champions League group stage campaign.

Last season he scored 13 goals in 52 appearances and with a significant increase already in his production he could become a sought after transfer target by the summer of 2012.

American starlet Jozy Altidore is in the midst the best season of his career. The 22-year-old has scored nine goals in 20 appearances for AZ Alkmaar including four goals in the club's UEFA Europa League Campaign which sees them a point away from the second round.

Ten goals in 16 games have seen Sporting Lisbon's 22-year-old Dutch forward Ricky Van Wolfswinkel make quite an impact in the Portuguese Liga.

Sporting sit third in their league and first in their Europa League group with much of the credit due to the young Dutchman. His exploits have seen become hotly tracked by several English Premier League clubs including Manchester United.

FC Porto's Brazilian forward Hulk has picked up where he left off last season with 11 goals and nine assists in 19 appearances this campaign. His outlandish price tag of £88 million is enough to keep eyes wondering if he will even make a move somewhere this January.

French and Montpellier forward Olivier Giroud currently leads France's Ligue 1 Oranje with 12 goals and the 25-year-old is paving the way for himself to get major pay day at some point in the future if he continues his pace. He also has added five assists in the campaign proving his worth as an unselfish all around forward.

The Belgian Starlet is the hottest prospect to come out of his nation in recent years and his stock continues to rise as his performances for French club Lille show more and more promise.

Twenty-three total appearances in the campaign so far has seen Hazard score six goals and create seven assists. At only the age of 20, there is much anticipation as to how far he will rise during his career.

Chelsea's big haired central defender may still make a mistake here and there, but there is no doubt that he is perhaps one of the most exciting center halves to watch in the EPL.

Bleacher Report's very own Will Tidey expressed his enjoyment of Luiz in one of his most recent articles, Why Chelsea's David Luiz Has Been My Favourite Premier League Player This Season.

Arda Turan was one of the brightest talents on display three years ago at the 2008 UEFA European Championships. Unfortunately he will not be making an appearance this coming summer in Poland and the Ukraine as Turkey was eliminated from the competition.

However, his move to Atletico Madrid this summer has seen him granted a chance on a larger stage to build his game. He was one of the most consistent midfielders in Turkey for Galatasaray over the past four seasons between 2006 and 2010 when he averaged 43 appearances and 10 goals.

His last season in Turkey saw him plagued by injury and only make 18 appearances providing 6 goals before his summer move to Madrid.

So far Turan has made 17 appearances while scoring two goals and providing five assists in La Liga which ties him with Barcelona's Xavi Hernandez. This will be a season to see how well he adapts to play on a much larger stage.

FC Twente's Luuk De Jong has been working to pick up the slack in the goal scoring that was lost when Dries Mertens moved to PSV over the summer.

The 21-year-old has 12 goals in 21 appearances this season and is another Eredivisie youngster that will be a possible hot prospect next summer.

While Cristiano Ronaldo may grab most of the headlines for Real Madrid there is another player that has been creating chance after chance for Los Blanco's this season.

Argentina's 23-year-old sensation Angel Di Maria leads La Liga with 11 assists and has also added four total goals for the Madrid club.

Last year he had 20 assists in 53 games but at this pace he is set for nearly 30 assists in the season if he gets the same amount of opportunities to shine.

Spanish midfield talent Javi Martínez of Athletic Bilbao is one of the Spain's most promising young talents. He helped to lead the Spanish U21's to the youth UEFA European Championship in both 2007 and 2011 while also having made appearances during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Another feather in his hat includes having been awarded the 2010 Don Balon Award as La Liga's breakthrough player of the season.

Borussia Dortmund's Mario Goetze continues to make a splash in the German Bundesliga as well as the European stage after having helped Dortmund to the 2010-11 Bundesliga Title.

This season has already seen him produce six goals and seven assists in 17 appearances and he could be in line for a big money move in January or next summer.

The one and only David Beckham is a must for this list because he is one you are forced to follow whether you wish to or not.

After finally managing to help deliver the MLS Cup to the Los Angeles Galaxy in the final year of his contract, he is looking at signing a deal with France's newest big money club Paris Saint Germain.

He may be 34 years of age and at what most people would call the twilight of his career, but Udinese forward Antonio Di Natale continues to produce for his club with 12 goals in 16 total appearances this year and could once again be at the top of the Serie A scoring charts.

Uruguay and Napoli forward Edinson Cavani is one of the worlds top talents and has been of great help to the Neapolitans quest for a shot at both a Serie A title and a UEFA Champions League trophy.

While the remain nine points adrift in the League there is plenty of time left to make a rise back to the top and they booked their spot in the knockout stage of the Champions League with their victory over Villarreal last week.

Cavani has produced 11 of his clubs goals during only 16 appearances between both competitions this season and is likely to be a key figure throughout all of 2012 for the club.

Southampton's 23-year-old English midfielder Adam Lallana has been majorly instrumental in the Saints rise to the top of the English Championship in their first year of promotion from League 1.

In 17 appearances he has produced seven goals and six assists and looks to keep producing. If he continues upon his current path it could be hard for the Saints to keep hold of him next season as his midfield abilities are sure to be noticed.

Schalke 04 and Netherlands striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has had a season to remember so far this year. He has scored 25 goals in 24 games for his club and looks to finally be finding his full form once again after off years between Real Madrid and AC Milan.

Huntelaar is likely to be as key to his club in their quest for the Europa League title, as he could be for his nation in the 2012 Euro's alongside another striker on the top of his form.

That other Dutch striker on the top of his form is Arsenal's Robin Van Persie. The Gunner has been just that as he only lacks a few goals of breaking the English record held by Alan Shearer for goals by a player in a calendar year of 36.

With both Van Persie and Huntelaar on form there is a real chance the Netherlands could gun themselves to another show down with Spain, only this time at the 2012 Euro's.

Palermo midfielder Josip Ilicic has been sensational for the Sicilian based club since joining their ranks at the start of the 2010-11 season.

Since the departure of Javier Pastore to Paris Saint Germain, Ilicic has taken a leap forward in the midfield as one of the clubs go through players in the middle and will be key to his clubs chance of finishing in the Europa League places of the Serie A.

Another Eredivisie star who's stock is on the rise is Dries Mertens. The Belgium international joined PSV Eindhoven over the summer of 2011 and has already far surpassed his contribution to FC Twente last season.

His haul last year was 12 goals and two assists in a total of 39 appearances. So far this year he has 26 appearances with 15 goals and four assists from the midfield.

Udinese forward Gabriel Torje could be one of the next big players to impact football. He has been labeled the, "Romania Messi," and his skill proves he has the talent to be worthy of the name.

The coming year of 2012 is most likely to prove if all the hype for the player is right or just exactly what it is called, hype.

Gary Cahill is one of the hottest tracked English central defenders this winter, and could go for a cut rate with Bolton in need of transfer funds as they look to try right their sinking ship int he EPL.

If Cahill does indeed get his transfer he will be under scrutiny to perform wherever he lands, and if could possibly see him turn out to be not as great as some think.

Norwich City's veteran striker Grant Holt continues to make waves for his club despite not always being in the starting 11. Despite having been mainly at substitute this season he has managed to find the net six times for the Canaries in 13 games and will likely be key to Norwich's plans of staying up this campaign.

At the age of 26 German international and FC Koln forward Lukas Podolski looks to finally have figured out how to score in the Bundesliga on a regular basis. With 13 goals in 14 appearances this campaign so far he has made a rapid return to the lips of the media.

2012 could be the biggest year of his career as an already high octane league campaign leads into the 2012 Euro's and if he is playing like this in the league he could be the key to Germany surviving the Group of Death, Group B, and making another run for the European championship.

Another German striker that is on top form this season is Bayern Munich's Mario Gomez. The 26-year-old attacker has already scored 22 goals for the Bavarian club between the 15 in the Bundesliga, six in the Champions League and one in the German Cup.

This could be his biggest season ever if he continues this pace and could put him on the radar for a high profile transfer as soon as January.

Bolonga and Uruguay 21-year-old midfielder Gaston Ramirez looks a major prospect in Europe and depending on how Bolonga finish in the Serie A. If his club fail to stay up he is certainly set to be on the move in 2012, and already has been linked with big name club Liverpool in the Daily Mirror.

Most people refer to the once fear striker as a £50 million flop, but 2012 has to be a big year for Chelsea's Fernando Torres. If he cannot find his form this second half then he will most certainly be on the move in the summer of 2012.

Flashes of brilliance have seen Torres manage to keep a little faith, but he is noticeably out of sorts, and looks like he is regretting leaving a club and fan base that adored him.

Honestly, how can you not watch this guy for another season. Whether you hate Barcelona or love them you cannot say that Lionel Messi does not light up the world of football. He will be looked on as one of the players to maintain the Blaugrana's reign at the top of La Liga.

In the same boat of love or hate as Lionel Messi you can find Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi's nemesis from Real Madrid is the other player that electrifies the La Liga fans with a bundle of goals and flair. However, Ronaldo has been known to slip up when it matters the most.

With Los Blanco's leading La Liga at the moment, Ronaldo may finally have his chance to prove he is capable of holding off the Argentine at the top of the Spanish footballing summit.

I am sick of hearing the young Brazilian's name but he is the most talked about South American youth on the planet in regards to football it would seem. Can he continue to keep up his stock and his hype in 2012 or will the world see he is just another youth destined to fade away.

The Manchester United veteran is one of the icons of the game that continues to stand the test of time, but 2012 is likely to see him retire. If anything fans need to watch him finish out his career with dignity as an all time legend of the Red Devils.

Liverpool's, 'Captain Fantastic," has spent almost all of 2011 sidelined with injury after nagging injury or infection or whatever else seems to keep the skipper down.

2012 has to be his turning point as he is once again nearing full fitness with a chance to help lead his Reds back into Europe and possibly even to a cup final if they can defeat Manchester City in the Semi-Finals of the Carling Cup in January.

Los Angeles Galaxy forward Landon Donovan just enjoyed lifting the MLS Cup for the second time in his career as well as being named the MVP of the final.

Donovan once again is in the position to make a move overseas if he were to choose. Recent rumors squashed him making a return to Everton where he had such a great loan spell, but as he nears the age of 30 he may not have another chance with his stock so high.

2012 will be an interesting year for Donovan and he is likely to have to make another career choice before it is over.

There is not an attacking midfielder that has had a bigger impact on his club in England than Manchester City's David Silva.

The Spaniard continues to push for getting a place in Spain's first 11 in the 2012 European Championship and all the while looks to help lead the Citizens to a EPL title.

Borussia Monchengladbach's 22-year-old striker Marco Reus has been at the forefront of the Foals push to the top four of the table.

Reus has raced off to 11 goals in the first part of the season after having scored 12 goals last season in what was the highest tally of his career. At the rate he is going he will be pushing for a big money deal in the summer if not with his current club another depending on where M'Gladbach finish.

Manchester United's leading frontman has had a controversial season so far with his UEFA ban that was recently reduced to two matches. He looks to have returned to business in the league after scoring a brace against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend following the reduced penalty.

However, the stage is now set that he will more than likely go into the Euro's on a good run for his club, and be put in the place to have to save his nation in their last group game which will challenge the Three Lions ability to not choke.

Netherlands and Tottenham midfielder Rafael Van Der Vaart is one of Tottenham Hotspur's most dangerous weapons. The Dutchman can score at any moment, but can also provide the pass to set up anyone.

If Tottenham want to make a push for a shot at the EPL title, then they will need Van Der Vaart on top of his game behind Emmanuel Adebayor all season as they chase United and City.

Tottenham's welsh star Gareth Bale continues to show his great skill this season. The reigning PFA Player of the Year is already off to a great start with six games and five assists in 15 appearances for Spurs.

Bale is on pace for the best season of his career once again and is attracting major interest from outside of England. The coming year of 2012 calls for a close watch on Bale as it could be a huge year for him.

Despite Newcastle United's recent dip in form Demba Ba has continued to keep knocking home the goals.

His 11 so far for the Magpies has been a huge part of their major run of success in the early part of the season, but his continued performance into 2012 will be even more important.

Manchester City's Mario Balotelli is one of the most colorful players in world football, you never know what he will do next.

Despite his obvious skill on the pitch, he has yet to figure out how to separate out his antics to be professional both in and out of the game.

Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels is another of the major defensive talents in world football that is on many teams wish list.

He has the ability to make his presence felt all over the pitch with his great forward passing skills and his excellent positioning and tackling.

A product of the Bayern Munich youth system, Hummels will be hotly tracked both this winter and over the summer as many big clubs will be circling.

Ajax Amsterdam and Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen has been linked to many major clubs across Europe in anticipation for the first transfer window of 2012.

Vertonghen will need to have a great 2012 as he is pushing to find a spot on a major club outside of the Netherlands that will value his skills.

Liverpool's Uruguayan maestro has found it difficult to finish a vast majority of chances this summer. The season that saw him knock in 49 goals with Ajax seems a memory at the moment as he has only managed a total of eight in all competitions from 78 total attempts.

Suarez has to find his finishing form in 2012 otherwise the Reds could be in trouble. Without the proper support he needs however, he will likely be leaned upon more than is truly fair to him and could him continue pressing so much which is likely a key cause of his faulty form.

Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Steven Fletcher may seem like an odd inclusion for a list with many top players, but the Wolves striker is a budding talent of the game.

At only 24-years-old, Fletcher is taking the reigns at Wolverhampton and could earn himself a trip up the ladder if he keeps up the form he has displayed to consistently score in double digits his entire career.

Paris Saint Germain were the winners of the Javier Pastore sweepstakes that seemed to have wrapped up as many clubs and rumors as possible in the summer transfer window of 2011.

The 22-year-old Argentine looks to have been a great pick up so far with six goals and four assists in the campaign for PSG.

2012 will continue to watch him develop and he could be involved in the Argentine Olympic team for Argentina as another way to increase his skills.

Another Napoli star to watch in 2012 is forward Ezequiel Lavezzi. The Argentine has been a major part of Napoli's revival in the last few years with 40 goals scored in 163 appearances so far for the club.

Lavezzi is also a key part of the clubs three pronged attack that includes previously mentioned Edinson Cavani and Slovakian national team captain Marek Hamsik.

Valencia forward Roberto Soldado is experiencing the best run of his career since moving to the Mastalla from Getafe. Since the move he has scored 39 goals in 66 games.

Soldado is pushing for a place in the Spanish national side, but more than likely he will be kept out.

He is also the subject many transfer rumors with both Liverpool and Tottenham reportedly linked.

Barcelona finally returned Cesc Fábregas home in the summer of 2011, and so far Cesc has been great for the Blaugrana.

This coming second half will judge how much time that the youngster will cement in the center of the midfield along with Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez.

Tottenham and Croatia playmaker Luka Modric has had a career year in 2011 for Spurs as his stock has never been higher, nor his skill more necessary to his club.

Modric will have to continue on his form and have a great 2012 for both Spurs and for Croatia in the 2012 Euro's.

Chelsea's newest Spanish purchase from the summer of 2011 continues to prove he is a great fit to Andre Villas-Boas system.

He will be looked on even more so in 2012 to keep cementing his position as Nicklas Anelka will be sold in January as could one or more additional wide players.

Mata could be the key to finally unlocking Fernando Torres' ability at Stamford Bridge but the two may never get the chance to build their chemistry.

There are many more that you could add to this list and I hope you throw some out in the comments section below.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to check out more on Bleacher Report and at the links below. You can follow me on Twitter @thedailyatz and Facebook or visit my website.