COLDEN BOYS

Mbappe, Haaland & Kane play the bootiful game

- ANDY DUNN

GIVEN the nature of their position and job, it is no surprise the list of World Cup top scorers is dominated by centre forwards.

Someone in the No.9 position - whether wearing the number or not - has been at the top of the scoring charts for every tournament bar 2014, 1974 and 1950.

And in 1950, whatever passed for the Golden Boot went to Brazilian Ademir, who played as a second striker.

The most prolific scorer at World Cup 1974 was a winger, Poland's Grzegorz Lato, and, in 2014, Colombia's James Rodriguez was the leading marksman from his attacking midfield position.

Honours were shared in 2010 and 1962 but centre forwards were among those groups.

The pattern was set in 1930 when Guillermo Stabile scored eight goals in four matches playing up top and central for losing finalists Argentina. But World Cup 2026 should, fitness permitting, see one of the most intriguing centre forward battles in the history of the competition.