World Cup 2018 Top Scorer predictions & betting odds

France striker value for Golden Boot

Giroud - Griezmann (France)
Giroud - Griezmann (France) © GEPA pictures

There are absolute legends who have walked away with the title of World Cup top goalscorer during their respective careers. Think of Brazil’s Ronaldo who netted eight goals in the 2002 campaign, Germany’s Gerd Muller and his 10 goal haul in the 1970 edition. Other greats of the game to have won the accolade include Gary Lineker, Paolo Rossi, Eusabio, Thomas Muller and record holder (most goals in a single tournament) Just Fontaine who scored 13 goals in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden for France.

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The all-time leading goal scorer at the World Cup is Germany’s Miroslav Klose. At the 2014 World Cup, he got a goal group stage against Ghana and then netted one in Germany’s epic 7-1 semi-final win over Brazil. Those were his 15th and 16th goals in World Cup history, taking him past Ronaldo’s tally of fifteen which had been standing since 2006.

2018 World Cup top goalscorer odds*

Lionel Messi 9/1, Neymar 10/1, Antoine Greizmann 12/1, Cristiano Ronaldo 14/1, Gabriel Jesus 16/1, Karry Kane 16/1, Timo Werner 16/1, Romelu Lukaku 18/2, Diego Costa 25/1, Luis Suarez 25/1, Edinson Cavani 25/1, Robert Lewandowski 33/1, Sergio Aguero 33/1, Isco 33/1, Kylian Mbappe 33/1, Gonazlo Higuain 33/1, Thomas Muller 33/1, Olivier Giroud 40/1, Mo Salah 40/1, Paulo Dybala 40/1, Eden Hazard 50/1* (betting odds taken on May 26th, 2018 at 00:16 a.m.)

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So who will be getting their hands on the individual award for being the top goal scorer at World Cup 2018 in Russia? Some of the game’s modern greats will be showing up like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Antoine Griezmann and Robert Lewandowski.

Four years ago in Brazil, it was Colombia’s James Rodriguez who took the Golden Boot with six goals in five games. He was a surprise winner of the personal award because not many punters would have picked him out of the field prior to the tournament. But he produced some stunning displays in the group stage and while Colombia didn’t get past the quarter-finals (where they lost it to Brazil), no one, in the end, could catch Rodriguez.

Argentina is Lionel Messi is the 9/1 odds outright favourite* (betting odds taken on May 26th, 2018 at 00:16 a.m.) in the World Cup 2018 top scorer market and he had a great season in front of goal with Barcelona. Messi was the top scorer this season in all of Europe’s top five leagues with 34 goals to land himself the European Golden Shoe. However, Argentina were poor in front of goal through qualification campaign as they were the lowest scorers of five qualified nations from the CONMBEBOL zone. Argentina produced just the 19 goals in their 18 qualification matches with 12 of those games all finishing under 2.5 goals. Messi got seven of their qualification goals are no other player made it past two for them. Messi has five World Cup goals from 14 previous World Cup matches.

Will Neymar be fit enough to be in contention?

Brazilian superstar Neymar is right there at the head of the market as well, despite the fact that he hasn’t played since March this year. Neymar had surgery on a broken metatarsal and was reportedly given three months recovery time. So Neymar’s fitness and match sharpness is fully in doubt for the World Cup 2018, but just because of his incredible strike record for Brazil, it would be no surprise to see him rushed back to full fitness. At the time of writing, Neymar had produced 53 goals in 83 international appearances. He pretty much does carry the hopes of Brazil on his shoulders.

The thing about Neymar is if he is fit then has a very strong creative team around him, more so than four years ago and he would get a hatful of chances to finish as the top goalscorer at the tournament. But how sharp will he really be? The big concern about him is the fact that he will be lacking match sharpness having missed the end of the domestic season. So at the 10/1 odds price* (betting odds taken on May 26th, 2018 at 00:16 a.m.) how much are punters going to trust that he can deliver in Russia 2018? If he isn’t fit and ready to go them Brazil’s hopes would switch over to Manchester City’s young Gabriel Jesus who is at 16/1 odds* (betting odds taken on May 26th, 2018 at 00:16 a.m.) to win outright.

Looking at some of the other front-runners World Cup top goalscorer betting market you have Cristiano Ronaldo 14/1 odds* (betting odds taken on May 26th, 2018 at 00:16 a.m.), but with Portugal albeit the reigning European champions, you have a side who are not naturally explosive in front of goal. Ronaldo will get plenty of pop shots at goal from set pieces and because Portugal just lack in the goal scoring department as a whole he is going to carry the can when it comes to providing the goals for their World Cup campaign. Portugal have a tough run ahead of them at the World Cup and it is highly unlikely that they will go deep enough to really give Ronaldo a shot at winning the individual award.

Recent Top Goalscorer History

Four of the last five winners of the World Cup Golden Boot played at least six games each in the tournament. One exception there is the last winner James Rodriguez who got his sixth goal haul in just five games. So the natural trend is that you are looking for a player from a team who is at least going to make the final four. With France a strong contender for the 2018 World Cup then Antoine Griezmann will come into the picture. After a bit of a slow start to the season, he exploded into life in 2018 for club Atletico Madrid and he is going to lead the front line for the French at the World Cup.

He is their go-to man and at 12/1 odds at bet365* (betting odds taken on May 26th, 2018 at 00:16 a.m.) in the World Cup 2018 top goalscorer market, Griezmann will have plenty of appeal for punters. He is wonderful in the box, superb in one-on-one situations and he was the top goalscorer at Euro 2016 with six goals for his country, and he also finished as the player tournament. The more that he is in the game at Russia 2018 the stronger France’s chances of going all the way to win their second World Cup will be.

England’s Harry Kane was in spectacular form once again for Tottenham and the Three Lions during the course of the season. While no doubt he is one of the top goalscorer talents in the world punters would have to ask themselves whether or not England are good enough to go deep enough into the tournament to give Kane the games he would need to get the goals to finish as top goalscorer? England don’t have one of the toughest of groups so he could get his eye in early on, but the potential lack of games for him compared to the games that Neymar and Jesus could potentially get for Brazil, is going to be vastly different.

The other leading contenders in the World Cup top goalscorer market include Germany’s young scoring sensation Timo Werner who has all of the ability in the world to upstage his experienced counterpart, Thomas Muller. Belgium’s hopes will be resting on the shoulders of Manchester United’s Romelu Lukaku, while Uruguay has the double threat of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani. Poland’s Robert Lewandowski is one of the greatest finishers in the game but he is in the same boat as England’s Harry Kane really with the lack of games that Poland are likely to get, not giving him another chance to be the top goalscorer at Russia 2018.

Prediction

prediction group win world cup 2018Of the front-runners France’s Antoine Griezmann looks to be the good value option to roll with ahead of the tournament. For starters, France have a relatively easy group to get through which will boost Griezman’s chances of finishing as top goalscorer and frankly with Argentina struggling going form, injury doubts over Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane and Robert Lewandowski not likely to get enough games, then Griezmann at 12/1 odds with bet365* (betting odds taken on May 26th, 2018 at 00:16 a.m.) is our World Cup top goalscorer tip.