Can anyone catch Mbappe in Golden Boot race?
Published
The Golden Boot race seems to have a clear favourite as the Round of 16 concludes at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Kylian Mbappe of France added two more goals in his country’s 3-1 win over Poland on Sunday to get his total count to five, two more than the three scored by a seven-player tie between Brazil's Richarlison, Argentina's Lionel Messi, France's Olivier Giroud, Portugal's Gonçalo Ramos, England's Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka, and the Netherlands' Cody Gakpo.
Recent winners of the prestigious award include Harry Kane of England in 2018 with six goals, James Rodriguez of Colombia in 2014 and two Germans: Thomas Muller in South Africa in 2010, and Miroslav Klose, who holds the all-time men's record for goals scored in FIFA tournament play, in 2006 with five goals.
FanDuel Golden Boot Winner Odds - Entering Quarter-Finals
| Player | Country | Goals | Odds |
|---|
| Kylian Mbappe | France | 5 | -195 |
| Richarlison | Brazil | 3 | +800 |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 3 | +1400 |
| Olivier Giroud | France | 3 | +2300 |
| Gonçalo Ramos | Portugal | 3 | +2300 |
| Marcus Rashford | England | 3 | +3400 |
| Cody Gakpo | Netherlands | 3 | +3400 |
| Bukayo Saka | England | 3 | +3700 |
| Harry Kane | England | 1 | +4100 |
| Neymar | Brazil | 1 | +4400 |
| Bruno Fernandes | Portugal | 2 | +5000 |
| Andrej Kramaric | Croatia | 2 | +5000 |
Ramos, who replaced Ronaldo for Portugal's Round-of-16 match against Switzerland on Tuesday, scored this World Cup's first hat-trick to insert his name in the race, the youngest player to do so in the knockout rounds since Pelé achieved the feat as a 17-year-old in 1958.
Kane comes in as a long shot with only one goal so far in Qatar, the same as Brazil's Neymar, who netted his lone score in the tournament so far on a penalty kick in Brazil's Round-of-16 win against the Korean Republic on Monday.
Team success becomes one of the most important factors as the World Cup approaches its final rounds. Only two solo Golden Boot winners have earned the award without their team reaching at least the semifinals – thus guaranteeing they play as many matches as any other team – Rodriguez in 2014 and England's Gary Lineker in 1986.
Mbappe could become the second player to earn the award for France and the first since Just Fontaine did it in 1958.
The quarter-finals kick off on Friday, with Brazil facing Croatia at 10 a.m. ET. Later that same day, Argentina plays the Netherlands at 2 p.m. EST. On Saturday, Morocco faces Portugal at 10 a.m. ET, with England and France closing out the round at 2 p.m. ET. Watch and stream every match across the TSN Network, the TSN App or TSN.ca.