FIFA World Cup 2022: Best forwards to watch out for
What's the story
The FIFA World Cup 2022 will get some of the world's leading forwards to grace Qatar. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are perhaps playing their last World Cup. France's Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe can rip opponents. Brazil's Neymar, and Poland's Robert Lewandowski add firepower and stability. Here we present a statistical analysis of the best forwards to watch out for.
Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski (Poland)
Lewandowski has been supreme since moving to Barcelona from Bayern Munich. In 19 matches across competitions, Lewandowski has scored 18 goals. As per Opta, 12 of his 13 goals in La Liga 2022-23 have come from inside the box. He also has 29 shots, besides creating 15 chances. He also has four assists. For Poland, Lewandowski has scored 76 goals in 134 matches.
Benzema
Karim Benzema (France)
2022 Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema will hope to showcase his attributes for France. Didier Deschamps' side boasts of a solid attacking depth and Benzema could expect supply. In 7 La Liga games, he has scored 5 goals, with four coming from inside the box. He has created 15 chances. For France, the veteran striker has scored 37 goals in 97 matches.
Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe (France)
Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe has been scoring for fun over the last few years. A complete forward, Mbappe is expected to partner with Benzema upfront in France's 3-4-1-2 formation. Mbappe has 11 goals and 2 assists in 13 Ligue 1 games this season. He has clocked 29 shots on target, besides creating 26 chances. For France, Mbappe has managed 28 goals in 59 games.
Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Cristiano Ronaldo will be aiming to gain a stronghold in Qatar, being the highest scorer in men's international football (117). He will look up to Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes to feed him. Ronaldo hasn't quite hit the strides this season for Manchester United, scoring once in the Premier League. He has clocked just six shots on target from 10 games so far.
Messi
Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Lionel Messi is having a dream season with PSG, having shown the consistency he enjoyed during his spell at his former club Barcelona. Messi has 12 goals and 14 assists in all competitions this season. In Ligue 1 2022-23, he has fetched 7 goals and 10 assists. Messi has registered 31 shots on target, besides 34 chances. For Argentina, he has scored 90 goals (114 appearances).
Neymar
Neymar (Brazil)
Brazil workhorse Neymar can make the difference this time. Neymar has dazzled for PSG in the 2022-23 season, scoring 15 goals and providing 11 assists across competitions. In Ligue 1 2022-23, Neymar has amassed 11 goals and nine assists. He has clocked 17 shots on target, besides creating 36 chances. He has also made 44 recoveries. For Brazil, Neymar has scored 75 goals.