A Manchester United star, a Real Madrid forward and a Bayern Munich attacker all feature.
The strikers are arguably the most important players in any team because they score the goals, which translate all of the hard work into physical success.
There were some memorable attacking performances from the World Cup such as Luis Suarez’s demolition of England during the group stage, before the Uruguayan decided to bite Giorgio Chiellini of Italy.
We’ve taken a look at five key statistical areas for forwards to assess the best performers in Brazil.
Goals
| Team | Pos | Goals | Apps | Mins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Müller | Germany | FW | 5 | 7 | 682 |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | FW | 4 | 7 | 693 |
| Neymar | Brazil | FW | 4 | 5 | 457 |
| Robin van Persie | Netherlands | FW | 4 | 6 | 548 |
| Karim Benzema | France | FW | 3 | 5 | 450 |
Bayern Munich star Thomas Muller leads the way in terms of goals, which will leave Manchester United fans cursing over not being able to convince him his future was away from Germany. However, United fans will be pleased to see van Persie on the list.
Assists
| Team | Pos | Goal Assist | Apps | Mins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Müller | Germany | FW | 3 | 7 | 682 |
| Karim Benzema | France | FW | 2 | 5 | 450 |
| Josip Drmic | Switzerland | FW | 2 | 4 | 251 |
| Emmanuel Emenike | Nigeria | FW | 2 | 4 | 360 |
| Eduardo Vargas | Chile | FW | 2 | 4 | 311 |
Muller also weighed in with the most goal assists during the tournament, with Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema just behind him. Los Blancos are reportedly keen to keep Benzema and it’s clear to see why; he makes sensible decisions at the right times during important games.
On Target Attempts
| Team | Pos | Ontarget Scoring Att | Apps | Mins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karim Benzema | France | FW | 15 | 5 | 450 |
| Robin van Persie | Netherlands | FW | 12 | 6 | 548 |
| Neymar | Brazil | FW | 9 | 5 | 457 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | FW | 9 | 3 | 270 |
| Clint Dempsey | USA | FW | 8 | 4 | 387 |
Benzema also had more shots on target than any other player. Manchester United fans have more reason to be pleased over van Persie, as he will have a short break before carrying momentum into pre-season ahead of the new Premier League campaign.
Final Third Passes
| Team | Pos | Successful Final Third Passes | Apps | Mins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | FW | 111 | 7 | 693 |
| Thomas Müller | Germany | FW | 91 | 7 | 682 |
| Karim Benzema | France | FW | 73 | 5 | 450 |
| Neymar | Brazil | FW | 55 | 5 | 457 |
| Keisuke Honda | Japan | FW | 53 | 3 | 270 |
It shouldn’t be a major surprise for fans to learn that Barcelona star Lionel Messi made more successful final third passes for Argentina than any other player. He carried the weight of the team for most of the tournament and several will argue that he deserved a winning medal.
Touches
| Team | Pos | Touches | Apps | Mins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | FW | 492 | 7 | 693 |
| Dirk Kuyt | Netherlands | FW | 401 | 5 | 509 |
| Thomas Müller | Germany | FW | 395 | 7 | 682 |
| Neymar | Brazil | FW | 328 | 5 | 457 |
| Alexis Sánchez | Chile | FW | 279 | 4 | 390 |
Messi also had more touches than any other forward during the tournament. However, we’ve decided to focus on new Arsenal signing Alexis Sanchez because it’s significant for the way Arsenal play that he makes himself available all across the attack during important matches.
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