We’re now at the quarter-final stage of the 2026 World Cup.
The final eight teams will have their sights set on reaching the final on 19th July and lifting the greatest prize in football. Some nations have made the final eight based on their team play. But others have definitely been reliant on one man to pull them through.
Which got us thinking. Which World Cup quarter-finalist is the most reliant on a single player? Who has seen the biggest percentage of their goals scored by one man?
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8. Belgium
- Team goals: 13
- Top scorer: Romelu Lukaku, 3 goals (12.08%)
Romelu Lukaku’s is Belgium‘s all-time top goalscorer, with 93 goals in 131 caps. Three of those have come at the World Cup this summer, more than any other Belgium player. That’s despite Lukaku only starting one game. The striker has scored in each of the last three games to help Belgium reach the semi-finals, but it’s very much been a team effort. Charles De Ketelaere, Leandro Trossard and Youri Tielemans have all scored two goals each, with seven different goalscorers in total.
7. Morocco
- Team goals: 10
- Top scorer: Ismael Saibari, 3 goals (30%)
Morocco are sweating over the fitness of Ismael Saibari ahead of their quarter-final. And not just because he’s their top scorer. Saibari came into the World Cup off the back of a fantastic season, earning him a move to Bayern Munich. He has scored three goals at the World Cup so far, more than any other Morocco player. Like Lukaku, though, Morocco haven’t been massively reliant on him. They have still managed to score when Saibari has been out of the team. Soufiane Rahimi and Azzedine Ounahi have both stepped up to score two goals, with the latter key last time out.
6. Switzerland
- Team goals: 9
- Top scorer: Johan Manzambi, 3 goals (33.33%)
Switzerland are the joint-lowest scorers left at the World Cup, with just nine goals in their five games. Three of those have been scored by Johan Manzabi, who missed the last-16 win through injury. Switzerland will definitely be hoping he’s available for their quarter-finals. Manzambi’s three goals have come as a No.10 and he’s also provided two assists. So over half of Switzerland’s goals have involved Manzambi in one way or another.
5. Spain
- Team goals: 9
- Top scorer: Mikel Oyarzabal, 4 goals (44.44%)
The other low-scoring quarter-finalists are Spain. But they’ve been slightly more reliant on one goal scorer. There were doubts over Spain’s attack going into the tournament, but Mikel Oyarzabal has been the man to rely on. He’s started every game up front for Spain, scoring four goals in five matches. Interestingly, those goals have in two games — the only occasions in which Spain have netted more than once. When Oyarzabal hasn’t scored, Spain have averaged just 0.67 goals per game. Like Manzambi, Oyarzabal has also added an assist to his goals for five total involvements.
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4. France
- Team goals: 14
- Top scorer: Kylian Mbappe, 7 goals (50%)
France are the joint-top scorers at the World Cup with 14 goals, and are favourites to win the trophy. At the very least, they’re expected to go all the way to the final for the third successive tournament. Kylian Mbappe has been at the heart of run so far. He’s the second-highest scorer at the World Cup this summer with seven goals to date. That also puts him second on the list of the World Cup’s all-time top scorers. Mbappe has scored in four of France’s five games so far, and has been directly involved in nine goals in total. Ousmane Dembele has done his bit too, with four goals. But France have only had four different goalscorers.
3. England
- Team goals: 11
- Top scorer: Harry Kane, 6 goals (54.55%)
England are a bit of an interesting case. They have scored 11 goals at the World Cup this summer. And they’ve been scored by either Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham or Marcus Rashford. That’s the lowest amount of individual goalscorers among the quarter-finalists. Kane is their top scorer at the tournament so far, having netted six goals in five matches. He’s only failed to score in one match, and has bagged two braces. Kane has also scored half of his three goals in the knockout stages, being crucial to England reaching the quarter-finals. Bellingham is two goals behind on four — including one set up by Kane.
2. Argentina
- Team goals: 14
- Top scorer: Lionel Messi, 8 goals (57.14%)
Argentina join France on 14 goals as the joint-top scorers at the World Cup. They also boast the top scorer at the World Cup so far. Lionel Messi scored his eighth goal of the tournament to send Argentina through to the quarter-finals, when they were on the brink of exit. Although Messi is one of six different goalscorers for Argentina at the World Cup this summer, he’s the only player to score more than once. That just shows how reliant Argentina are on the 39-year-old. Adding his one assist, there have only been five Argentina goals not directly involving Messi.
1. Norway
- Team goals: 12
- Top scorer: Erling Haaland, 7 goals (58.33%)
Only France and Argentina have scored more goals at the World Cup than Norway‘s 12. And only Messi has scored more than Erling Haaland’s seven. Norway are in a similar situation to Argentina, in that Haaland is the only player to score more than one goal at this summer’s World Cup. Their four other goalscorers have all netted just one each. And Haaland has followed Messi in scoring in all of his World Cup performances so far. But his streak is only four games, having sat out the final group stage match against France. Haaland has scored at least two goals in three of his four matches and he’s been the match-winner in every game.
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