The FIFA awards at the end of every World Cup event is one of the most sort after individual awards and recognises special talents and individual brilliance during the campaign. One such award is the FIFA Golden Boot award which is handed over to the tournament’s leading goal scorer. Commercially referred to as the Adidas Golden Boot, the award has historically been of great importance as the name of its winner is forever etched in history.

There are some good names like Robert Lewandowski of Poland, Lionel Messi of Argentina, Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Romelu Lukaku of Belgium who you would expect to be in the fray for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot but it could also throw up a surprise as it has done in several occasions in the past. Let us look at the FIFA Golden Boot winners of the past and the impact they had for their teams. FIFA World Cup 2018: A Glimpse at the Best Players of All the 32 Teams Participating at Russia WC.

Davor Suker (Croatia) 1998 World Cup

Croatia’s wonderful journey in the 1998 World Cup where they made it to the semi-final of the competition was largely due to the then Real Madrid striker, Davor Suker. He scored six goals in seven appearances for his national team who were making their World Cup debut after breaking off from Yugoslavia.

He scored important goals in the group stage victory over Japan and Jamaica which helped his side qualify to the knockouts. His penalty marked the end of Romania’s campaign in the Round of 16 while his goal against the mighty Germans saw them being eliminated 3-0 in the quarter-final stage. Davor Suker opened the scoring for Croatia in the semi-final versus France only to see his dream end with Lilian Thuram scoring a brace for the Les Bleus. He finished the tournament with a goal against the Dutch as Croatia won the third-place playoff. FIFA World Cup 2018 Schedule in IST.

Ronaldo (Brazil) 2002 World Cup

Ronaldo, the great Brazilian striker was truly unstoppable at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, running riot with his explosive pace and powerful finishing. His hairstyle may have had detractors during the tournament, but his game hardly had any. The striker scored an astonishing eight goals to help Brazil lift the 2002 World Cup.

His scored four times in the Group stage and his goal helped defeat Belgium in the Round of 16. He did not find the back of the net against England in the quarter-final where it was Ronaldinho who stole the show with his brilliant free kick. Brazil defeated Turkey via a solitary goal from Ronaldo but it was his brace against the Germans in the final which truly was his moment of greatness.

Miroslav Klose (Germany) 2006 World Cup

German legend Miroslav Klose has the most goals in World Cup football and Miro, as he is fondly called was the Golden Boot winner when his country hosted the 2006 World Cup. Although he could not help them win the Cup his five goals meant he won the prestigious Golden Boot award. It was also the second straight edition of the World Cup where the Poland born striker scored five goals after netting the same amount of goals at the 2002 World Cup as well.

His goals in Germany included a brace against Costa Rica in the opening match and a similar brace against Ecuador in the final group stage match. His most important goal came against the Argentinians where he headed home an 80th-minute equalizer in the quarter-final which Germany later went on to win on penalties. FIFA World Cup 2018: A Look at the Official FIFA Songs Over the Previous Editions.

Thomas Muller (Germany) 2010 World Cup

One of the most positive things that emerged for Germany at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa was the arrival of Thomas Muller at the international stage. He bagged the young player of the year as well as the Golden Boot although he had the same number of goals as Spain’s David Villa and Netherlands Wesley Sneijder but won it due to the three assists he had in addition to the five goals.

He scored important goals-two against England in Round of 16 and the third-minute opener against Argentina in the quarter-final where they blanked the South American nation 4-0 in addition to a goal in the group stage against Australia. His was suspended for the defeat against Spain the semi-final but returned to the squad and scored in the third-place play-off against Uruguay.

James Rodriguez (Colombia) 2014 World Cup

The Colombian player will be forever remembered for his chest control and swift volley finish against the Uruguayans which became a symbol of pride for his nation. Rodriguez scored six times in Brazil and also had two assists as his nation marched up to the quarters where they were finally stopped by mighty Brazil.

His three goals in the Group stage came against Greece, Ivory Coast, and Japan and finished Uruguay’s run in the tournament with a brace in the Round of 16. He scored a penalty in the 2-1 quarter-final loss to Brazil and the image of him crying after the game became one of the most painful symbols of the World Cup in Brazil.

It will be interesting to note who lays his hands on the prestigious Golden Boot trophy but one thing is clear, the player who wins will go on a long way in shaping his team’s future in Russia.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 13, 2018 10:38 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).