Bibhash Lodh, BS News Agency: The heat of the World Cup is now at its peak. In addition to the battle on the field, there are many speculations in the football world about the race to win the personal award 'Golden Ball' for the best player of the tournament. Considering the performance of the tournament, French star forward Kylian Mbappe is currently ahead of everyone in the list of the best. Mbappe seems to be running at his own pace in the current edition of the World Cup. The French captain has scored six goals in four matches so far, of which his double goal in the round of 32 match against Sweden was worth seeing. After winning the Golden Boot at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the Real Madrid star is determined to lift the Golden Ball crown on his own head. Argentine magician Lionel Messi is being named as Mbappe's main rival. In addition to being the best player of the Qatar World Cup, he has the unique feat of being the only player in football history to win the Golden Ball twice. His rhythm is unbroken in this tournament as well. Argentina has seen Messi's magical performance in every match so far. He also showed himself to be great against Cape Verde in the round of 32. Messi has proven once again by scoring goals since the beginning of the tournament that the weight of age has not overcome him much. The name of Mbappe's teammate Michael Olis is also being considered very seriously in the list. The French winger is on the way to setting a unique record by creating five goal opportunities in four matches. His eye-catching performance is forcing big betting companies to think about him anew. Goal machines like England's Harry Kane and Norway's Erling Haaland are not far behind. Kane played a key role in taking England to the last 16 by scoring five goals in four matches.
On the other hand, Haaland is also in a strong position in the race for the Golden Boot. In addition, Spain's young sensation Lamine Yamal and Brazil's Vinicius Junior have also made their place in the shortlist for the Golden Ball.
