The sprint for World Cup triumph has begun, as has the contest to be the tournament’s leading scorers ahead of Sunday’s final.
While winning the iconic trophy will be the goal for the two teams that are still in contention, individuals can make history by earning the Golden Boot.
With Croatia and Morocco eliminated in the semi-finals, four strikers are now vying for the prized trophy.
We take a look at the remaining prospects for the most prolific marksman in Qatar 2022, with Argentina and France vying for the title on Sunday.
Lionel Messi (Argentina) — Five goals, three assists
Lionel Messi’s World Cup dreams are still alive, and no Argentina player has done more to get them to this far than the little magician.
The 35-year-old scored from the penalty spot barely 10 minutes into his debut appearance at the 2022 tournament, however the encounter ended in a 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia.
With La Albiceleste facing an early exit, Messi scored a key goal from distance against Mexico on their way to a 2-0 victory.
After defeating Poland by the same scoreline in the previous round, their talisman stepped up to break the deadlock in a 2-1 triumph over a tenacious Australian side.
In the quarter-finals against the Netherlands, he assisted Nahuel Molina with a superb reverse pass before extending his side’s lead from the penalty spot, bringing his tally to four goals.
And he struck from the penalty spot once more to lead Argentina to a 3-0 win over Croatia, securing a place in his second World Cup final and placing himself in pole position for the Golden Boot.
Kylian Mbappe (France) — 5 goals and 2 assists
Despite failing to score against England and Morocco, France’s Kylian Mbappe is still in the running with five goals, however, he now lags behind Messi in assists.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward has been in phenomenal form, scoring in Les Blues’ opening against Australia before scoring a match-winning double in the group stage against Denmark.
The 23-year-old came to the fore once more for Didier Deschamps’ side in the last-16 clash against Poland, shooting home their second before curling home his fifth of the season late on.
He was unable to score in his last two matches due to tenacious defence against England and Morocco, but he has a good chance of defeating his opponents on Sunday.
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Argentine Julian Alvarez — four goals
Julian Alvarez started Argentina’s first two games on the bench and failed to net but has stormed into form since being propelled into the XI against Poland.
The Manchester City forward scored the second goal in the 2-0 triumph and also scored the game-winning goal against Australia.
He didn’t add to his tally against the Netherlands, but he put himself in contention with a semi-final double, pouncing on a lucky rebound to cap off a stunning solo run and later tapping home from Messi’s cutback.
He has ranked ahead of Olivier Giroud in this ranking due to a higher goalscoring ratio of one goal every 91 minutes.
And, with France sure to pay attention to Argentina’s monarch on Sunday, don’t bet against the youthful pretender finding a way to win the title.
Olivier Giroud (France) — Four goals
If Karim Benzema had been fit for this World Cup, Giroud might not have kicked a ball for France.
But the 36-year-old has shown his worth once again in Qatar, heading home the winner in their 2-1 triumph over England.
A brace against Australia was followed by a vital first goal in the last-16 match against Poland before he scored the game-winning goal that broke English hearts.
It would be no surprise to see the former Arsenal and Chelsea man make an appearance on Sunday, but he will need to score at least twice given he has not set up any goals so far.