Lionel Messi leads the way with six goals in three matches, including a hat-trick against Algeria, two goals against Austria and another against Jordan. Argentina have already secured their place in the knockout phase, giving Messi the platform required to chase a prize he has never won.
His start has also made him the face of an Argentina campaign that must keep progressing if his individual lead is to matter at the end.
Kylian Mbappe sits on four goals and two assists, while France have won every match so far. The reigning Golden Boot winner remains a serious threat, although a possible meeting with Germany in the last 16 would raise the difficulty level immediately.
Haaland also has four goals, and his importance to Norway has been clear throughout their route into the next phase. His brief verdict - “I'm up there” - was confident without dismissing the competition. He also acknowledged that Mbappe and Harry Kane had scored more across the season.
Kane has three goals, including two in England’s opening match against Croatia, and his form has placed him among the tournament’s leading individual performers. The Golden Boot race may also shape the wider debate around his influence when the pressure rises.
The next stage changes everything. Messi’s lead is substantial, but every knockout round offers rivals another chance to close the gap. The player whose nation survives longest may ultimately have the decisive advantage.