World Cup 2018: 8 contenders for the Golden Boot

The Golden boot (or the Golden Shoe, as it was previously called) is awarded to the player with the most number of goals to his name at the end of the World Cup. The winner in the previous edition was Colombia's James Rodriguez, while Germany's Thomas Muller was the winner in 2010.

This year, there is a lot of competition for the award as several newer players have emerged on the horizon and are in-form before the start of the tournament. The usual suspects like Messi and Ronaldo aside, there are several more players who are capable of winning it.

Here's a look at 8 such players who have a shot at winning the Golden Boot in Russia this year:

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#8 Edinson Cavani

Uruguay's Cavani is in red-hot form and can be the surprise winner of the award

The Uruguayan has been in fine form this season and finished the season at PSG with 40 goals to his name.

Partnering with Barcelona's Luis Suarez up front, Cavani has always been stellar for the national team, having scored 42 goals for La Celeste. However, Edinson Cavani is not usually a player you'd expect to see score the most goals in the World Cup, simply because there are better teams out there.

What's different this year? The answer to that would be the group stage - Uruguay are in Group A along with Russia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. None of those teams boasts a stellar defensive record, and Uruguay can be easily expected to top the group with Cavani scoring for fun.

#7 Harry Kane

Will England's captain lead them to glory with goals?

The only reason Harry Kane is so low on the list is because of the team he plays for, but with 43 goals this season it would be ridiculous to rule him out.

England are yet to establish themselves capable of having a long run in knock-out tournaments, and several people are hoping that this is the tournament that will change that perception.

Looking at England's midfield, however, a general lack of creativity can be sensed. As captain, it will be on Kane's shoulders to carry the entire hopes of his nation - with Jamie Vardy and Raheem Sterling helping him out with their annoying runs into the box.

The group stage has all the potential to be a goal-fest or a complete disaster - the games can either end in 6-0 thumping victories or boring 0-0 draws, depending on how England turn up. We might even a surprise winner in the form of Jamie Vardy, but that is more hope than reason.

#6 Isco

Isco is a completely different player when he is playing for Spain

Isco might be on and off the Real Madrid side, and often look like he is replaceable but for the national side, it is a completely different story.

Spain's 6-1 rout of Argentina was the perfect example of the Isco show when he danced around the Argentine defenders on the way to a hat-trick. Their rapid passing and tiki-taka is where Isco thrives, and with Spain almost certain of going for a long run in the tournament, this could really be his year.

One of the problems with Spain is that they tend to split the goals among themselves, with goals coming all over the pitch and midfielders joining in on the act as well. But irrespective of that, keep your eyes on Isco and prepare to be dazzled.

#5 Antoine Griezmann

Griezmann almost took France to the Euro title, and this will be his chance to take them one step further

France have come up with a strong squad in hopes of getting their hands once more on the trophy, and Griezmann will remain the key to all their hopes. After 29 goals this season playing in a defensive side, it is only natural that the goals will roll when he dons the France jersey.

With his future at Atletico Madrid still uncertain, Griezmann has decided to focus all his energy on the tournament at hand and then come back to the boring task back home. Partnering Mbappe as a second striker, Griezmann is expected to be at the centre of everything good France does.

In midfield, he has able support from Kante and Pogba, meaning that he can make his runs forward without wondering if he should be the one creating things - as he does in Atletico. With the defenders also torn between marking him or Mbappe/Giroud, we can see a lot of goals from the French forward.

Griezmann has also shown that he can step up in important tournaments, having scored 6 goals in the Euro 2016 that France lost in the final, and having scored a brace in the Europa final against Marseille.

#4 Lionel Messi

The question is whether Messi has the patience to drag Argentina once more through the tournament

Admittedly, Messi should be further higher on this list, but after the way Argentina qualified for the World Cup, it is fair to put him in the fourth position.

Make no mistake, Argentina are more than capable of winning this tournament under Sampaoli. But they have a history of choking under pressure, and they are yet to gel as a team, unlike Germany or Brazil.

In the last few years, Messi has moved from a position of striker to more and more as a central midfielder who makes things happen, instead of roaming the opposition box looking for a stray pass. With Aguero (and not Higuain) and Dybala, that will be more to Argentina's strengths.

Despite all this, he has managed to score 44 goals for Barcelona this season and is in white-hot form. He could very well win the Golden Boot, but it will depend a lot on how his teammates play as well. Knowing Argentina, that is asking a lot.

#3 Cristiano Ronaldo

Winning the World Cup will be Ronaldo's final frontier in terms of trophies

Ronaldo's history in this tournament has not been up to the mark, but it would be foolish to discount him just based on that - 43 goals do not just fall into your lap.

After a miserable first half of the season, Ronaldo has coming into his own during the latter half of the season where it seems like he just cannot stop scoring. After his Euro title with the national team in 2016, it will be time for Ronaldo to focus on the biggest trophy of them all.

Unlike Messi, Ronaldo is not occupied with thoughts about the midfield and this might just be his biggest strength. Portugal has some quality midfielders who can deliver decisive passes - Adrien Silva, Bernardo Silva and William Carvalho - and Andre Silva to play as another striker beside him.

Winning the World Cup will certainly mean that the Ballon d'Or will be given to Ronaldo, and what more impetus does he need to score goals?

#2 Neymar

If Neymar can lead Brazil to the trophy, he will be a strong contender for the Ballon d'Or as well

A long-term injury might have meant that Neymar has not been talked about as much this season, but the World Cup is just the stage to make a return. Despite not playing for almost half of the season, he has managed to score 27 goals for the French champions.

Like Isco, Neymar is a force to be reckoned with at the international team and its playing style revolves around him - like it should. Also, Neymar will be more rested and fresh than the other players on this list, and we can only expect more and more goals out of him.

With Gabriel Jesus and Willian and Coutinho joining him in the attack, Neymar has more than enough quality to assist him. The World Cup could just be the difference between a Ballon d'Or this season for the Brazilian or not.

If Neymar wins the Golden Boot, and helps Brazil win the trophy, he could make a surprise entry into the list of possible candidates and finally break free from the shadows of Messi and Ronaldo, just as he has always wanted.

#1 Thomas Muller

A world-cup motivated Muller is the most dangerous player in the world

Thomas Muller, the highest goal-scorer in the tournament, is the No.1 choice for this award, and a lot of it has to do with the team.

Germany know how to come together as a team, and the defending champions seem stronger than last time around with their quality this year. Thomas Muller has the extraordinary gift of being in the right place at the right time and is even better for the national team.

After a poor start, Muller has gotten steadily better with time as the World Cup got closer and closer, and is in excellent form to hit the World Cup - 16 goals and 16 assists to end the season. With Marco Reus joining him on the left and Leipzig's Timo Werner playing off him from the centre, Germany's trio is one of the best in the tournament.

Muller's goals might not be very pretty to look at - he has a tendency to score a lot of scrappy goals - but they come when the team most needs them. And in their quest to defend their title and conquer Russia, Muller might just reach the next level.