Rio de Janeiro: He is not as well known as some of his German team mates, nor is he the most successful in the group, but Borussia Dortmund centre back Mats Hummels is the most popular of Joachim Loew’s 23-man-squad for the World Cup, according to a study carried out by the University of Hoffenheim.
“Hummels personifies the charismatic competitor who is always calm and fair,” explained Markus Voeth, the man in charge of the internet survey of 929 people.
Hummels topped the list ahead of Bayern Munich trio Manuel Neuer, Philipp Lahm and Thomas Mueller, with his Dortmund team mate Kevin Grosskreutz finishing bottom of the pile.
