The World Cup is less than a week away and fans around the globe are booking their tickets to Russia where the most awaited sporting event will be held this year. The first World Cup was won by Uruguay in 1930 and the last Cup was won by Germany in 2014. With an amazing history of hosting the most talented goal scorers, the World Cup is a platform honored by numerous football icons. Though Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi are the first names to come to our minds when we talk about top goal scorers of the current generation, they do not feature on the list of the top goal scorers of all time in the World Cup. Right on this note, let us have a look at the all-time top goal scorers in the World Cup history. #5 Pele (12) Brazilian legend Pele, one of the stars of the victorious Brazil team of the 1970 World Cup Finals in Mexico. The inclusion of the best and most famous athlete of the last century on this list may not come as a surprise to any football fan. Scoring 12 goals in just 14 appearances, Pele was one of the most vital players in Brazil’s triumph in international football. He had enjoyed one of the most decorated careers possible with the Brazilian national team and had won three FIFA World Cup titles - 1958, 1962 and 1970. The only player to ever do so. The IFFHS had voted him as the World Player of the Century in 1999. The same year, he shared the title of the FIFA Player of the Century with Maradona. He retired from professional football in 1974 but got back from his semi-retirement in 1975, and signed a contract with the American Club New York Cosmos before finally hanging his boots in 1977. It is said by many that Pele had a perfect balance and an impossible vision, and he could do anything and everything on the pitch. His list of achievements and the legacy he left behind are never-ending. Even after years of retirement, he continues to serve as one of the biggest inspirations in the world of football. All stats via transfermarkt 1 / 5 NEXT<doc-sep>Forwards... They are without a doubt the most critical slots to fill in a football fantasy league team. Their goals can fire your team to mini league glory and they are usually the first point of call for the captain’s armband. With so many world class strikers available across the game, picking just three from the lot will be difficult — especially within budget constraints. Let’s look at the best forward options for the World Cup Group Stage. ~ STRATEGY As the most expensive position in the game, forwards will consume the lion’s share of your budget so it’s important to get the mix right. As tempting as it is to go for the “CMN” (Cristiano-Messi-Neymar) nuclear attack, a stacked front 3 can leave you short of funds everywhere else. No one wants to be scouring the rosters of World Cup minnows looking for bargain basement buys just to field a team. How you approach your striker setup is totally dependent upon you. Some managers prefer to spend heavily up front on premium options and cut corners elsewhere. Other managers like myself subscribe to two expensive strikers with an affordable third option who can rotate with a 5th midfielder depending on the fixtures. This also gives me some spare cash to use on the midfield and defense. There’s also a minority who go for one premium striker to instead spend heavily in midfield and defense. Whichever strategy you favor, whether or not your chosen strikers hit can make or break your fantasy season. So let’s have a look at the best strikers who will grace this summer’s World Cup in the different price brackets. ~ FORWARD PICKS PREMIUM (9.5 - 12.0) In the premium bracket, three of the game’s best attackers are listed as the most expensive players in the game. Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Brazil’s Neymar are the game’s luxury options at 12.0, and they all have the potential to take the World Cup by storm. In my opinion, Neymar looks the best of these three for a few reasons. Having just returned from a long term injury that kept him out of the entire second half of the club season, he’s fully fit with no fatigue concerns. He will have a point to prove after a forgettable 2014 World Cup, and he’s already shown that he’s raring to go with some amazing individual goals in Brazil’s pre World Cup friendlies. Nevertheless, who can bet against the two best players in football — Messi and Ronaldo? The reality is that this World Cup could well be the last chance for either to grab the coveted title that would cement his legacy as the best player of all time. Expect them to play as if there is no tomorrow. Looking at some other expensive strikers, Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku (10.0), Germany’s Timo Werner (9.5) and France’s Antoine Griezmann look set to prosper as the go-to strikers for their respective teams. Griezmann was the top scorer at Euro 2016 with 6 goals is France’s most dangerous option. Lukaku spearheads a free scoring Belgian lineup that always delivers goals. As for Werner in his first World Cup, he is the man that the favorites are banking on to defend the Cup that Germany won four years ago. Honorable mention: the fearsome Uruguayan duo of Luis Suarez (10.5) and Edinson Cavani (9.5). ~ MID PRICE (7.5 - 9.0) Elsewhere in the mid price category, a number of forwards stand out. Brazil’s Gabriel Jesus (9.0), Spain’s Diego Costa (9.0), Argentina’s Gonzalo Higuain (9.0) and Egypt’s maverick striker Mo Salah (8.5) all scream huge potential albeit with some question marks. Despite having the season of his life, Mo Salah’s Champions League injury means he’s a doubt for the first game. Egypt’s hopes rest on his crocked shoulder, and it’s left to be seen if he can find full fitness at all. Higuain’s well documented failures on the big stage may dissuade Fantasy Managers as much as die hard Argentina fans (and even Argentina’s manager -- Aguero might start ahead of him). As for Diego Costa and Gabriel Jesus, the fact that they have not fully established themselves in their teams and the huge competition for places makes them a risk. Worth a look is Russia’s talented striker Fedor Smolov (9.0) who will carry the host nation’s hopes in an open group. Should Russia ride a wave of home support, he is set to profit. France’s young sensation Kylian Mbappe (9.0), Mexico’s Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez (8.5) and Colombia’s Radamel Falcao (8.5) also look like tasty options for the third striker spot. Outside the box, it’s always a good idea to look at players who carry the weight of responsibility for their national teams. South Korea’s Heung Min Son (8.0), Peru’s Paolo Guerrero (7.5), Serbia’s Alexander Mitrovic (7.5) and Senegal’s Sadio Mane (8.5) will all be absolute focal points - which could translate into goals and assists. ~ BUDGET (4.5 - 7.0) An expensive midfield may well pay dividends given that they are rewarded more for goals and can get clean sheet points. If you’re going this route, then it’s worthwhile to employ a cheap 3rd striker that can rotate with your 5th midfielder, and maybe even grab a goal or two in the process. Nigeria’s Alex Iwobi (6.0) looks the best option in this category. The jury might be out on him at club level, but for Nigeria he is a talismanic presence. Similarly, Tunisia’s Wahbi Khazri (6.5) and Japan’s Shinji Okazaki (6.0) may not get the juices flowing for FPL managers, but on the international stage, they have an entirely different profile. Further afield, Denmark’s Kasper Dolberg (6.0), Senegal’s Keita Balde (6.0), Egypt’s Ramadan Sobhy (5.5) and Sweden’s John Guidetti (5.5) can be useful fillers to make room for that big midfield buy. ~ My Take While it is tempting to focus on having a killer forward line, we also need to be rational. The fantasy game awards 4 points for a forward goal, whereas a midfielder gets 5 points with the potential for additional clean sheet points. Goal-scoring midfielders are by far the most attractive options in the game, and by spending too much money on top, your team could be missing out on fantasy gold. Let’s not forget that the top scorers at the last World Cup were James Rodriguez and Thomas Mueller — Midfielders! I’m also looking at the fixtures and the lineups. I think Lionel Messi will have a statement tournament but probably in a deeper role, which could reduce his goal output. I’m also skeptical about Germany and Spain’s opening games, which may encourage me to look elsewhere for the first round. I can always come back for the second round of games. Balance is key! ~ JOIN THE NEVER MANAGE ALONE LEAGUES McDonald’s FIFA World Cup Fantasy If you have not already done so, you will want to be sure to join the Never Manage Alone “Beat the Bloggers” league to see how you stack up against our crack staff, community members, regular readers and fantasy managers around the globe in McDonald’s FIFA World Cup Fantasy! Just click on this invitation: LEAGUE NAME: NeverManageAlone BTB LINK: Click here to join the league CODE: ROUW0ATB If you have to use the code, please paste it so you get the letter ‘O’ and the zero sorted. Dream Team World Cup Fantasy We also have a Never Manage Alone “Beat the Bloggers” league going in the Dream Team fantasy game, so be sure to join that as well. LEAGUE NAME: Never Manage Alone Beat the Bloggers LINK: Click here to join the league ~ What strategy do you plan to use for your forward line? Which of the big three do you expect to have a strong tournament? Do you rate any other forwards not mentioned here? Who are you thinking about as captain for Round 1? Let us know in the comments below!<doc-sep>
These strikers couldn’t stop scoring at the World Cup in 2014. There are just two days to go until the greatest show on Earth kicks off and time is running out to enter your fantasy football team. Your forward players could become your main source of points in your Dream Team World Cup side, which is why it’s so important to have goal machines leading your attack. These were the strikers who racked up the most points at the World Cup in 2014, with some of them available for your Dream Team World Cup side this year. 1 Lionel Messi – 49 points PA:Empics Sport 6 Lionel Messi came so close to winning the World Cup in 2014 Lionel Messi came within a whisker of becoming a World Cup winner in 2014, reaching the final with Argentina. The Barca man was on the losing side against Germany however, after he was instrumental in guiding his country deep into the tournament. Messi led from the front in 2014 when he chipped in with three goals and one assist in Brazil. The talisman forward will take part in his fourth World Cup finals this summer and is the most expensive player in Dream Team World Cup at £8m. 2 Robin van Persie – 46 points AP:Associated Press 6 Robin van Persie scored one of the greatest goals in World Cup history with his superhuman header against Spain Robin van Persie was the focal point in a Holland side that upset the odds by reaching the semi-finals in 2014. The former Arsenal and Man United striker played in all but one of Holland’s seven matches, as they won the 3rd place playoff. Van Persie chipped in with four goals during the tournament, including his memorable superhuman header in the group-stages against Spain. The Dutch forward is not available for selection in your Dream Team World Cup side this year after Holland failed to qualify for the tournament. 3 Neymar – 40 points Getty - Contributor 6 Neymar is ready to terrify defences in Russia The whole of Brazil breathed a sigh of relief when Neymar was declared fit for the World Cup this summer. The Brazilian star was the posterboy at the last tournament and lived up to the expectations that were placed on him. Neymar scored four goals and got one assist as he helped Brazil reach the semi-finals in 2014. The PSG man missed the 7-1 humiliation to Germany after he sustained a back injury in the previous game against Colombia. Neymar, who is fully fit and raring to go in Russia, will have some unfinished business this summer and is available for selection in your Dream Team World Cup side for £7.5m 4 Alexis Sanchez – 37 points AFP 6 Alexis Sanchez and Chile failed to make it past the last-16 in 2014 Alexis Sanchez and Chile came into the tournament with high hopes of causing some shocks in Brazil. The energetic forward helped his side knock Spain out in the group-stages and registered two goals and one assist, before Chile were beaten in the last-16 by Brazil. Sanchez was a heavily coveted player following his performances at the World Cup and moved to Arsenal after the tournament. The Man United forward can’t be selected in your Dream Team World Cup side this year after Chile surprisingly failed to qualify. 5 Karim Benzema – 36 points AFP 6 Karim Benzema has been omitted from France’s 23-man squad for Russia Karim Benzema was an ever-present in the French national team before off-field disputes have left him unavailable for selection in recent squads. The Real Madrid forward was one of the most important players for France at the last World Cup. Benzema chipped in with three goals and three assists at the tournament, as Les Bleus reached the quarter-finals where they were beaten by Germany. The 30-year-old still remains unavailable for selection for France, and therefore can’t be picked in your Dream Team World Cup side for Russia. How does World Cup fantasy football work? If you’re already a Dream Team fan you’ll recognise the setup.