World Cup 2018: 8 contenders for the Golden Boot

#4 Lionel Messi

FBL-FRIENDLY-ARG-HAI — 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.

About the author

Shyam is a journalist and content manager who covers tennis at Sportskeeda. He has followed the sport for over two decades and considers Roger Federer the G.O.A.T. Shyam believes in accurate stories that provide detailed knowledge and insight, and strives to bring the same to his readers. Shyam has good understanding of SEO and journalism guidelines.

Know More

Edited by Sripad