21 July,2026 08:53 AM IST | Mumbai | Karan Shankar
Kylian Mbappe (France); Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain); Lionel Messi (Argentina) and Vozinha (Cape Verde). Pics/AFP
The France skipper Mbappe has thrown up numbers few can even fathom. He's the leading scorer with 10 goals in eight matches, along with his four assists. He also eclipsed Lionel Messi as the overall highest scorer in FIFA World Cups with 22 goals in 22 matches, achieving all-time greatness.
The talismanic Argentine skipper Messi was the focal point throughout the defending champions' run to the final. Despite being 39, he notched up eight goals and made four assists in eight matches, inspiring some brilliant comebacks for the La Albiceleste in the knockout phase.
The Manchester City star Haaland netted seven goals in just five games on his World Cup debut as Norway produced their best-ever result, reaching the quarter-finals. His double, knocking out five-time champs Brazil was most special, as was Norway's iconic Viking Row celebration.
Bellingham delivered for his team when it mattered most. With seven goals and one assist in eight matches, he finished as England's highest scorer in a single edition. His twin strikes in the 3-2 win over Mexico and 2-1 win over Norway were brilliant as the Three Lions went on to win a historic third place.
The English skipper gave his team a solid start to the tournament, scoring a brace in their opening 4-2 win over Croatia and then struck twice in a rallying 2-1 win over DR Congo to finish with six goals and one assist across seven games.
The Spanish skipper was the tournament's best defensive midfielder, earning him the Golden Ball award (best player) to go with the coveted World Cup trophy. No player had more touches (910), completed more passes (756) and had more line-breaking passes (122) than Rodri.
The Champions League-winning Paris Saint-Germain forward was only a notch behind skipper Mbappe, scoring six goals and providing two assists in eight games, including a fine hat-trick in the 4-1 win over a promising Norway side.
While he wasn't among the scorers, the Bayern Munich forward played the âbridesmaid' contributing seven assists in eight games. The key playmaker was one of the best players on view given his immense skill and trickery.
Oyarzabal, the striker in the starting XI for La Roja, netted five goals and assisted once in eight games. With no other prolific scorer in the squad, the forward, who plays in La Liga for Real Sociedad, was decisive in most of their matches.
While Spain goalkeeper Simon set a World Cup record of seven clean sheets in one edition to win the Golden Glove award (best goalkeeper), conceding just once in eight ties, Vozinha, helped an unknown Cape Verde make the knockouts thanks to his two clean sheets and 18 saves in four games. His eight saves in a 0-0 draw vs Spain on World Cup debut, earned him over 20 million social media followers.
