Race for the Golden Boot

It's been a crazy three weeks in Russia and we're edging ever closer to discovering who's going to be lifting the famous Jules Rimet trophy on 15th July. France, Brazil, Belgium, Uruguay, Croatia, Russia, Sweden and of course England are the final nations remaining in the competition and it's going to be a rollercoaster ride for sure. Brazil and France are currently joint favourites to go all the way with England just in behind at 9/2 - it can't happen, can it?

England's run through the tournament has surprised a few and they could find themselves in the semi-finals come 5pm on Saturday. But one thing that hasn't really taken people by shock is the goalscoring form of Harry Kane. The 24 year-old is currently the pacesetter in the race for the Golden Boot and the Tottenham man will be desperate to pick it up on his first ever appearance at the World Cup Finals.

He has an incredible 6 goals in just 3 games in Russia and he's as short as 4/11 to win the Golden Boot - pre-tournament he was as big as 20/1! But hot on his heels are the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, so we're in for some race to cap off the competition. But can Kane do it? Read below to hear our thoughts on all four contenders and let us know yours by tweeting @FootyAccums!

It's been a meteoric rise up the footballing ladder for Harry Kane over the last few years but he's never been in a better place than he is right now. Coming off the back of another ridiculously prolific campaign for Tottenham in which he hit the back of the net 41 times - he's taken that through onto the world stage. The 24 year-old had a bit of a point to prove at international level after struggling at Euro 2016 and boy has he fought back and proven that he's the main man.

19 goals in 27 caps shows just what a devastating finisher he is and he's shown in Russia that he can do it on the biggest stage of all - with 6 goals in just 3 appearances. The added pressure on his shoulders from being given the captaincy by Gareth Southgate is huge and he has an important role to play outside of scoring goals - but it's proving to be something he's relished. The togetherness shown by this England side is something we haven't seen for years and it's leading to some top performances and plenty of chances for the 24 year-old.

Kane has scored from all 6 of his shots on target which proves just how clinical he is and it's made him the overwhelming favourite for the Golden Boot at just 4/11. On Saturday he faces Sweden and also has a possible semi-final with Russia or Croatia to come so there's plenty of potential for more goals and we just can't see past him winning it which would be a huge achievement.

Kane is the big favourite to win the Golden Boot but he faces strong competition from a familiar foe. Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku has led the line superbly for Belgium at the World Cup, scoring 4 times in just 3 appearances to bring him in at 12/1. The 25 year-old is already the all-time record goalscorer for his nation with a staggering 40 goals in 72 caps and he has the ability to add a few more to that in Russia.

Lukaku is a real handful for any defender with his physical presence and pace, which really compliments the attacking fair that they have in the side. He's struck up a great understanding with the likes of Eden Hazard, Dries Mertens and Kevin De Bruyne & the prospect of them four linking up is a terrifying one for opposition defenders. He has a lot of work to do if he's to catch up to Kane and with Brazil to come it certainly won't be easy, but with the creativity he has around him in the side he's in with a decent chance.

Belgium are a side built on attacking football and they score LOTS of goals, in fact no side has hit more than their 12 so far in Russia. The Brazil game looks very tough on paper but with them averaging 3 goals a game they'll be confident they can cause an upset and if they're to do it, Lukaku will be integral to them.

Both Kane and Lukaku are still young and have a long way to go in their careers, but this guy is still a teenager and absolutely tearing it up. Kylian Mbappe's rise to prominence over the last couple of seasons is something that dreams are made of and he continues to wow crowds around the world. The 19 year-old is one of the most clinical and dangerous attackers in world football and it's frightening to think of what he can become. Playing alongside the likes of Edinson Cavani and Neymar at club level, he's constantly improving and that's shown on the international stage for France.

The French national team is packed full of world class talent so for him to shine like he has is a huge testament to his ability. He's currently Les Bleu's top scorer with 3 goals to his name in just 4 appearances and despite being 3 behind Golden Boot favourite Kane, he's definitely capable of catching him. His two goal man of the match performance against Argentina in the round of sixteen proved that he can come up with the goods at important moments and we're really looking forward to seeing what he can produce against Uruguay on Friday.

His pace and ability to beat a man saw him rip apart the Argentine backline last Saturday and if he can do that throughout the latter stages of the tournament, the net will be bustling a few more times for sure. But despite this, we can't see him catching Kane at the summit of the Golden Boot standings, nevertheless it's been a fantastic tournament for the 19 year-old and a real coming of age.

When you think of the World Cup the first nation that immediately comes to mind are Brazil. The Samba stars have won the tournament 5 times - the most of any nation - and they can boast some incredible players to boot. Over the years we've seen Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Pele, Ronaldinho and the latest big name to join that stellar list is Neymar. He's the worlds most expensive player to ever play the game has scored a jaw dropping 57 goals in just 89 caps all at the age of 26 and he has his sights firmly set on world glory this summer.

He missed the end of the domestic season due to injury and was rushed back to represent Brazil in Russia, something that's told slightly on the pitch. He hasn't been at his electric best this summer but he's still managed to pop up with two goals and keep himself in the running for the golden boot, just. He's scored 2 goals in Russia so far but his ability to find space and create opportunities means he's still in with a chance of winning the award for the first time. He's had 12 shots on target during the World Cup and with each game he keeps getting better - which is bad news for opposing defenders.

He has an awful lot of ground to make up on Kane and whilst we don't think he will catch him, we can see him scoring a few more goals. He's proven time and time again that he's a big game player and he'll be relishing the prospect of representing Brazil in the latter stages of the World Cup, especially after missing their semi-final humbling at the hands of Germany four years ago on home soil.