Germany midfielder Thomas Mueller is the favourite to be voted the best young player at South Africa 2010 but has admitted winning the World Cup would have been a better prize.
The 20-year-old has been short-listed by a FIFA committee for the award won by team-mate Lukas Podolski four years ago along with Mexico s Giovani Dos Santos and Ghana s Andre Ayew.
After Germany were beaten 1-0 by Spain in Wednesday s semi-final, Mueller says his side must now win Saturday s third place play-off against Uruguay in Port Elizabeth to finish their World Cup on a high.
I am delighted to be on that list, but winning the World Cup would have been a nicer reward, said the Bayern Munich midfielder.
I think we need a win to leave South Africa on a high.
Having scored four goals so far at South Africa 2010 including two against England in the round of 16 and a header against Argentine in the quarter-final Mueller has become a household name during this World Cup.
He was suspended for the defeat to Spain and his presence was missed in Germany s midfield.
Mueller only broke into Bayern Munich s first team at the start of the season and won his first cap in March before taking the World Cup by storm as part of a Germany side playing free-flowing football.
His Bayern team-mates Arjen Robben and Mark van Bommel will both be part of the Netherlands team to face Spain in Sunday s World Cup final and Mueller says he hopes the Oranje lifts the title.
The Dutch have been playing well, they qualified early for the final, I am surprised they haven t played with the some flair they showed at Euro 2008, but you underestimate the Dutch at your peril, he said.
I haven t really spoken or texted (Robben or van Bommel) since the semi-finals, but I know it is their dream.
It would be great if they won the World Cup, because my club team would field world champions.
