FIFA World Cup 2018: Top 5 Golden Boot contenders
As a kid playing football in the backyard, we all dream about scoring a goal in a world cup. For a footballer, the joy derived from fulfilling this dream is unrivalled. But how about finishing the world cup as it's top-scorer?
Winning the Golden Boot is one of the biggest individual honours a footballer can achieve. Over the years, many legendary footballers have been the recipient of this award. We are talking about names like Eusebio, Gerd Muller, and Ronaldo.
Today, in no specific order, we list down five strongest contenders for the Golden Boot. The names included have either been performing well in front of goal or have a history of top-scoring in such tournaments. Also, the players need to be from a strong team, giving them the chance of playing in as many matches as possible.
#5 Lionel Messi
Not turning any younger from here on, Lionel Messi could get well past his prime by the time we approach 2022. Therefore, it's safe to say that 2018 FIFA World Cup marks his last chance to win the trophy. And no one understands this better than Messi himself.
With that in mind, fans can expect the Argentinian to enter Russia with all guns blazing. Over the last couple of years, Messi's role as a creator has amplified. But we also know that he scored 47 goals this season. 34 of these came in the La Liga, winning him his fifth European Golden Shoe and validating his lethality as a top-notch goal-scorer.
Messi's world cup career was up to a slow start. In his first two world cups, he managed to find the net only once. He did much better in 2014, scoring four goals in seven matches. Will Messi surpass his numbers from Brazil? We'll be finding out soon.