Harry Kane

From 75 international appearances, Kane has racked up 51 goals - he is just two behind Wayne Rooney in the all-time goalscoring list for England and will expect to achieve that feat in Qatar.

At the European Championship in 2021, captain Kane did not score in the group stage but scored four in three games across knockout matches against Germany, Ukraine and Denmark. Crucially, he failed to net in the final against Italy.

 

At the 2018 World Cup he scored two against Tunisia and three against Panama in the groups on his way to winning the Golden Boot in Russia, but scored just once more before England were eliminated in the semi-finals by Croatia. He is the 10/1 joint favourite for the Golden Boot in Qatar.

Kylian Mbappe

Mbappe (10/1) is 23 now and the main man for France - no one can really argue with that fact. His 28 goals in 59 France appearances have turned him from teenage prodigy to global superstar and there is an argument that he is the best player in the world right now.

Playing alongside Neymar and Messi at PSG has further helped develop his talent - and his ego - but that’s not necessarily a bad thing either at this level. France have to believe they are the best and with a striker like this, there will be no lack of belief.

He already has more than 20 goal contributions from the first section of this season at PSG and when he feels like getting at people, it is very hard to stop him.

Lionel Messi

Messi, somewhat obviously, remains the story of this team. This will likely be his last World Cup, and his last chance to emulate what the late, great Diego Maradona did and lead his country to the very pinnacle of the game. You can get 12/1 for him to finish as the tournament top scorer.

His form this season for PSG has been sensational and the great burden he was bearing of a lack of international silverware has been lifted by that Copa America victory. 

Make no bones about it, Messi is still a force of nature, despite his advancing years, and he looks happiest in the Albiceleste shirt these days. Every football romantic on earth is behind him. 

Neymar

Speaking of setting records straight, Brazil’s best player and main goalscorer Neymar carries the nation’s pressure almost solely on his shoulders at times.

A good tournament here (16/1 best price for the Golden Boot) could see him eclipse Pele in Brazil’s all-time scoring charts. For a player with that sort of record to finish up with zero World Cups to his name is borderline unfathomable.

He scored eight in World Cup qualifying, playing either as the 10 or as a sort of false nine, given freedom to roam, link and push a creative licence to the max. He’ll be at the heart of everything good the Seleção construct in attack.