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Why Cristiano Ronaldo WILL WIN the golden boot over Kane and Lukaku

The Portugal captain is on course to win his first World Cup golden boot and not even Kane and Lukaku can stop him.

A lot of pundits, fans and aficionados have had to rewrite their prediction notes following a the not-so-convincing performances of Germany, Brazil and the like.

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For the top scorer race, though, the gauntlet has been laid down and it is obvious that it is now a three-man race for the golden boot.

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Cristiano Ronaldo was the first to set Russia ablaze after netting a sensational hat-trick against Spain in Group B’s opening game. The Real Madrid star added another against Morocco to make it four goals in two games.

Ordinarily, such a rare, impressive stat should see him topping the scoring charts at the World Cup. However, that is not the case, and this can be attributed to the imperious forms of Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku.

The England and Belgium strikers have matched Ronaldo in every department when it comes of goal-scoring in this tournament. In fact, whiles Lukaku is tied on four goals with the Portugal captain, Kane is one step ahead with five goals to his name.

As a result, many have once again begun to doubt if Ronaldo would be able to stand the challenge of the two Premier League attackers.

It is true that Kane and Lukaku will give Ronaldo a good run for his money, but hey, this is Ronaldo – the ultimate goal machine.

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Prior to the tournament, the challenge was meant to be between him and Argentine counterpart Lionel Messi. However, not only has the 33-year-old left his eternal rival in his own wake, but he has also made nonsense of all those who suggested he doesn’t show up in international tournaments.

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But now Ronaldo’s competition in Russia is no longer Messi, it is against the less-fancied, but sharp Kane and Lukaku.

Currently level with Lukaku and a goal behind Kane, winning the golden boot will not come easy. But there’s a reason why he will still win it over the aforementioned strikers.

In terms of character, he is head-above-shoulder ahead of them. And, unlike Kane and Lukaku who only shine when their national teams are performing, Ronaldo is a totally different animal – one who doesn’t need a heyday to prey.

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The Portugal captain has always led by example and has shown countless times that his teammates can depend on him when everything else falls apart. Can we same for Lukaku and Kane? The answer is a resounding no!

Also, when you consider the kind of opposition that the two strikers have faced as compared to Ronaldo, it is obvious who is more likely to score when the tougher fixtures come in the knockout rounds.

For instance, Kane’s hat-trick came against a hapless Panama side, whiles Lukaku also netted a double against the same side. Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s hat-trick came against pre-tournament favourites Spain.

Also, Belgium and England play each other next, whiles Portugal will be facing Iran in their next game. Whiles the former is a tough game, the latter looks less difficult and affords Ronaldo the chance to add to his four goals.

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It is obvious that the golden boot race will not be won in the group stages. Therefore, the real fight will come in the knockout stages when the boys are separated from the men.

There, there will be no Panama, Iran or Morocco, and that is where the true goal scoring exploits of the three players will be tested.

But against big apposition and when the stakes are high, 8 out of every 10 football-loving fan knows who among the three can be trusted to deliver.

So the race may look tight for now, but there is every reason to see why Ronaldo is still favourite to win the golden boot.

Not even Lukaku or Kane can stop him!

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