It is one of the most extraordinary Golden Boot races in tournament history. Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane are locked in a remarkable battle to finish as the competition’s leading scorer. ( Haaland is no longer in the race this time – but since he is built on the lines of the Terminator – he will surely be back )
At the 2010 World Cup four chaps ended up with five goals each. Thomas Müller, Wesley Sneijder, Diego Forlán and David Villa all ended with five goals each
This year there are three but its at another level. Messi, Mbappé and Haaland had already scored seven goals before the quarter-finals, with Kane just behind them and still well within (pardon the pun) striking distance. Now Messi and Mbappe are tied at 8 goals each .(Mbappé currently holds the tiebreaker advantage for the award by virtue of having 3 assists to Messi’s 2 )
The numbers are astonishing. The goals already scored would have given the player the Golden Boot at almost any previous World Cup.
The highest ever number of goals ever ever scored in a World Cup however are 13,11 and 10 .
\