From Messi to Haaland: Which World Cup frontrunner...
Key takeaways
- Look at the leaderboard for the Golden Boot: Lionel Messi is in first with six goals in three games.
- Argentina, Norway, England, Brazil and Portugal rely heavily on their star forwards and although Dembélé displayed his skill with a hat trick against Norway last Friday, Mbappé is still France's undisputed main man.
- But which team relies most heavily on its talisman?
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Look at the leaderboard for the Golden Boot: Lionel Messi is in first with six goals in three games. Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Erling Haaland and Vinícius Júnior are in second with four apiece. England captain Harry Kane is still in the hunt with three goals in three games, and even Cristiano Ronaldo, at 41 years old, has brought his scoring boots to the party, tallying two goals for Portugal during the group stage.
Argentina, Norway, England, Brazil and Portugal rely heavily on their star forwards and although Dembélé displayed his skill with a hat trick against Norway last Friday, Mbappé is still France's undisputed main man.
But which team relies most heavily on its talisman? ESPN has assessed the numbers since the 2022 World Cup to find out which nation can't survive without its star striker.