Four of the most in form strikers in world football are set to build on red hot World Cup 2026 starts this week, after Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane each announced themselves in devastating fashion last week.
It was as though each was spurred on by the performance of the others. Paris St Germain's Kylian Mbappe got the ball rolling by scoring twice in France's 3-1 win over Senegal. That was emulated a couple of hours later by Manchester City's Erling Haaland in Norway's 4-1 win over Iraq. Then Lionel Messi, the Inter Miami attacker, proved his enduring class with a hat trick as Argentina beat Algeria 3-0. Bayern Munich's Harry Kane then netted twice as England beat Croatia 4-2.
Four very different players, with contrasting styles but who are equally effective have raised the question of whether this could be the tournament of the star striker, and how opponents plan to stop them. Former Everton and Wales defender Ashley Williams outlined how you might defend against them, starting with Messi and Mbappe.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi has scored 120 goals in 200 games for Argentina. His next game is against Austria on Monday at 18:00 BST. Messi turns 39 on Wednesday, but you would not know it from his performance against Algeria.
The forward's treble took him level with Germany's Miroslav Klose as the World Cup's all time top scorer on 16 goals, though Mbappe is just two behind. With Messi on this kind of form, and on 120 international goals, Williams was asked how you halt him in his tracks.
It's more of a team effort. I always felt being a defender that you are hoping for a bit of luck.
You've got to cover all your bases, which might be getting tight as a defender, or dropping off and letting your midfield get tight.
Try as best you can to push him into comfortable areas with your body shape, your distancing and your angles of approach.
He's one of those players where if you have to pick a poison, say you'd rather someone else take the shot than him.
Williams added that forcing an attacker onto their weaker foot would have limited success with Messi.
He seems to take control in possession, no matter where you try to push him out to.
He's got the low centre of gravity, great balance, his touch is exceptional, so he can manipulate the ball and get you into a place you don't want.
Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe scored a hat trick in the 2022 World Cup final, which France lost on penalties to Argentina. His next game is against Iraq on Monday at 22:00 BST.
Williams has first hand experience of Mbappe from his own playing days with Wales. In November 2017, when Mbappe was a fresh faced 18 year old, Williams had to keep tabs on the striker for 84 minutes of an international friendly in Paris. Mbappe did not score, but he did provide the assist for Olivier Giroud to complete a 2-0 victory.
By coincidence, the 27 year old's brace against Senegal took him past Giroud to become France's all time top scorer on 58 goals.
He was very difficult to play against.
Mbappe is more direct than Messi. Not to say that he's better, but he's equally as hard to defend against.
When Mbappe dribbles, it's normally with more pace. The way he will manoeuvre the ball to where he wants, in a twist and turn is with more intensity.
When you're playing against a striker that is normally 100 miles an hour, you stay in that rhythm as well. You're defending at that pace, whereas Messi will slow you down and then speed you up.
I'd probably rather play against Mbappe, because you stay locked in with him.
France have such an array of world class attacking talent, there is not just Mbappe to think about. Williams said defenders must do their homework and see what type of runs players like to make. He noted that Michael Olise likes to come inside on his left foot a little bit more.
