World Cup 2018 top scorer: Golden Boot

The race for the Golden Boot in Russia should be a cracker, with Neymar, Ronaldo, Messi, Lewandoswki et al in the hunt to nab James Rodríguez's 2014 award.

Golden Boot Russia 2018

The race for this World Cup's Golden Boot is expected to be a close one, with the likes of Leo Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Robert Lewandowski, Luis Suárez, Edinson Cavani, Mo Salah, Harry Kane, Antoine Griezmann, Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner all in fine scoring form.

The bookies’ favourite for the Golden Boot is Neymar, with Brazil expected to go deep into the tournament but more so than other teams in Russia the goal-scoring burden is shared out among the Canarinha, with Gabriel Jesús, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho all aware of the onion bag’s whereabouts. That is not the case with Salah, who is an outsider but worth a look – if passed fit for The Pharaoh’s opener - due to the dearth of quality in Group A: David Villa top-scored at Euro 2008 on the back of a hat-trick in Spain’s first game, against Russia.

Messi, Griezmann and Werner make up the top four with the bookmakers and the Germany striker is a decent shout after a solid Bundesliga season given that Germany are not likely to exit the tournament early.

Suárez and Cavani are prospective winners for the same reason as Salah and Uruguay have assumed their traditional place in the starting blocks as one of the tournament’s dark horse.

Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, has participated in three World Cups but has only managed a single goal in each.

AS English predictions

Neymar is a solid bet, having scored 55 in 85 games for Brazil, while a couple of Messi moments make the Argentinean hard to rule out – although the Albiceleste are in the Group of Death. Griezmann top-scored at Euro 2016 with three more than any other player and France have the ability to reach the final again in Russia but Les Bleus’ squad depth means that unlike other strikers, the Atlético forward may find his number coming up fairly often as Didier Deschamps shuffles his enviable array of attacking options.

However, we fancy Werner to take the prize as Germany will at least make the semi-finals and could hand South Korea or Mexico’s leaky defences a hefty drubbing.

Previous Golden Boot winners

1930: Guillermo Stábile (Argentina), 8

1934: Oldrich Nejedly (Czechoslovakia), 5

1938: Leônidas (Brazil), 7

1950: Ademir (Brazil), 8

1954: Sandor Kocsis (Hungary), 11

1958: Just Fontaine (France), 13

1962: Garrincha (Brazil), Vavá (Brazil), Leonel Sánchez (Chile), Flórián Albert (Hungary), Valentin Ivanov (Soviet Union), Drazan Jerkovic (Yugoslavia), 4

1966: Eusébio (Portugal), 9

1970: Gerd Müller (West Germany), 10

1974: Grzegorz Lato (Poland), 7

1978: Mario Kempes (Argentina), 6

1982: Paolo Rossi (Italy), 6

1986: Gary Lineker (England), 6

1990: Salvatore Schillaci (Italy), 6

1994: Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria), Oleg Salenko (Russia), 6

1998: Davor Suker (Croatia), 6

2002: Ronaldo (Brazil), 8

2006: Miroslav Klose (Germany), 5

2010: Thomas Müller (Germany), David Villa (Spain), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands), Diego Forlán (Uruguay), 5

2014: James Rodríguez (Colombia), 6

Just Fontaine’s record of 13 goals at a single World Cup will take some beating, while only four players have won the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball at the same tournament: Kempes, Rossi, Schillaci and Forlán.