The wait is almost over and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is about to commence. For only the second time in competition history, the tournament will be held in the Asian continent, while this will be the first occasion the flagship event has headed to the Middle East.
Keenly watching how things unfold from practically every corner of the globe, around 5 billion football fans are expected to tune in, watching via TV broadcasts and live streams. After all, this is a tournament which only takes place every four years, making the sense of anticipation and excitement even greater.
Aside from lifting the coveted golden trophy itself, one of the most interesting battles will be for the Golden Boot, the prize awarded to the top marksmen at the tournament. Due to the ever increasing depth of team quality in the modern game, finding the back of the next has become even more challenging, but who will top the charts at the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
Shooting for Success in Qatar
Lifting the iconic golden trophy is obviously the primary objective of every team, which inevitably attracts the most interest insofar as betting is concerned. Indeed, bookmakers are now offering markets in practically every language, including Vietnamese, các trang web cá cược World Cup 2022 tốt nhất, plus expert advice on how to find the best odds and offers.
Some sites are also focusing on who will be the Top Goalscorer at the World Cup, as oddsmakers aim to predict which attacking players might win the Golden Boot award. Looking through the leading international bookmakers, including those available to Asian punters, England striker Harry Kane is tipped to register the most goals in 2022, although there will be plenty of competition.
France boast not one but two potential top scorers, according to the latest odds, with Kylian Mbappe tipped to be in great form, accompanied by veteran striker Karim Benzema, who recently won the prestigious Ballon d’Or award as the world’s best footballer. Providing the reigning champions can perform well at the 2022 World Cup, these two fantastic attacking players will certainly be amongst the goals.
Rounding out the top five predictions, we have two phenomenal football icons, and this could be the last ever World Cup tournament for both of them. Lionel Messi has already hinted at international retirement, hopeful he can lead Argentina to the ultimate glory. Cristiano Ronaldo is the leading international scorer of all time, keen to inspire Portugal to the ultimate success, making him a solid contender for the Golden Boot this time.
Scoring is Far From Easy
Did you know, the highest scorer at one single tournament was Just Fontaine? He scored 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup with France, which is a record that still stands to this day. In fact, at the previous 21 tournaments, only three players ever hit double figures, including Fontaine. The first was Sandor Kocsis with 11 goal for Hungary in 1954, while Gerd Muller struck 10 for West Germany in 1970.
Since then, the individual tally has actually reduced, and personal glory has actually become harder to achieve. In the modern era, since the World Cup was expanded to 32 teams for the 1998 tournament, Ronaldo Nazario registered the highest tally, scoring 8 for Brazil in 2002. At subsequent tournaments, the most anyone could score was 5 or 6 goals.
German striker Miroslav Klose holds the World Cup goals record, having scored 16 goals in 24 matches, spread over 4 separate tournament appearances. He also won the Golden Boot award at the 2006 tournament, hosted in his home country. To give his record some perspective, there are currently no active players anywhere close to matching that overall number.
The closest rivals to the World Cup scoring record have each reached 7 goals in total. About to play in his fifth World Cup tournament, Luis Suarez achieved that number with Uruguay after previous appearances in 2010, 2014, and 2018. Cristiano Ronaldo shares the same tally, as he prepares to appear in what could be his fifth and final World Cup, having appeared at the 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 tournaments.
Who Will Top the Charts?
Given that reaching double figures is extremely difficult, we can look at previous tournaments as a possible indicator of who might fare well, heading into the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. At the last tournament held by Russia in 2018, the top scorer was England striker Harry Kane, who struck 6 goals in 6 games. This is arguably why he is tops betting as the top candidate for the Golden Boot, as we look forward to the upcoming tournament.
