Teams have entered the knockout stages of the World Cup in Qatar and players are competing to win their country and the prized Golden Boot trophy.
The Golden Boot is awarded to any player who has scored the most goals in the competition and if he has tied the goals after scoring, then the player has helped a lot of people.
If the players are tied in both stages, the winner is decided by the player who played the fewest minutes.
England captain Harry Kane lifted the trophy at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he scored six goals and led his team to the semi-finals.
Here’s a look at the contenders for the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup:
The 23-year-old scored against Australia in the Group D opener and scored a second-half winner against Denmark as France secured a place in the knockout stages.
He failed to find the back of the net as Tunisia recorded a disappointing performance in their last game, but added two more goals in their 3-1 win over Poland on Sunday.
The Atletico Madrid goalscorer scored in all three of Spain’s Group E games, including one off the bench against 2014 champions Germany.
Morata, who was left out of the starting line-up alongside Marco Asensio in the first two World Cup games, scored Spain’s fifth goal in a 7-0 rout of Costa Rica before setting himself up for the opener. .
They put Luis Enrique’s side ahead in their last group game but the 2010 winners were beaten as Japan produced their second impressive turnaround to reach the last 16 in the top spot.
The England striker enjoyed a dream start to his World Cup campaign in Qatar.
Rashford’s place in the squad was uncertain a few months ago due to his form and bravery, but the Manchester United forward has climbed up the Golden Boot ladder after scoring twice for Gareth Bale’s Wales side.
Rashford’s teammates Phil Foden, Jack Grealish (both Manchester City), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Chelsea) and Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund) also appeared on the social media pages.
Rashford started on the bench in England’s 3-0 win over Senegal in the last 16, coming on in the 65th minute to replace Saka but not scoring. Saka’s goals against Senegal took him level with Rashford on three goals in the competition.
The Dutch striker has managed to find the net regularly in Qatar so far, as the Netherlands progress to the last 16 after topping Group A.
However, Gakpo was unable to add to the Netherlands’ 3-1 win over the USA in the last 16.
The 23-year-old has been influential in his club PSV Eindhoven’s run to the Europa League and has been in talks with Europe’s top clubs reportedly vying for his signature when the summer transfer window opens.
The Argentinian star is playing in what he says could be his last World Cup.
The 35-year-old opened his account with a brace in the Group C defeat to Saudi Arabia, before scoring and assisting Enzo Fernandez in a shock win over Mexico.
Messi also scored in Argentina’s 2-1 win over Australia in the final 16 minutes, putting his side ahead after 35 minutes with a late strike for his 94th international goal.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has enjoyed a trophy-laden career at club level, with fans around the world hoping he can finally help his country qualify for the World Cup.
Messi’s Portugal teammate Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score five goals in World Cups when he scored against Ghana in their Group H opener.
Portugal’s run at the World Cup in Qatar has been somewhat marred by controversies surrounding Ronaldo and his acrimonious departure from Manchester United.
But former club-mate Bruno Fernandes, 28, has stepped out of Ronaldo’s shadow and scored twice against Uruguay after setting up a brace in Portugal’s 3-2 win over Ghana.
Player Team Goals Support Game Minutes
Kylian Mbappe France 5 2 4 297
Alvaro Morata Spain 3 1 3 126
Lionel Messi Argentina 3 1 4 360
Marcus Rashford England 3 0 4 132
Bukayo Saka England 3 0 3 214
Cody Gakpo Netherlands 3 0 4 343
Olivier Giroud France 3 0 3 227
Bruno Fernandes Portugal 2 2 2 180
Cho Gue-sung South Korea 2 0 3 196
Andrej Kramaric Croatia 2 0 3 208
Ferran Torres Spain 2 0 3 144
Breel Embolo Switzerland 2 0 3 238
Julian Alvarez Argentina 2 0 4 208
Richardson Brazil 2 0 2 152
*Statistics as of December 4, 2022
