Mbappe netted two goals and drew a penalty in an explosive display that has prompted some to compare him with Brazil great Ronaldo.

Not since Pele in 1958 has a teenager scored twice in the same World Cup match.

Like Modric, Mbappe gets extra points for having achieved success at club level last season, though in competitions with less prestige than the Champions League. The teenager was part of the Paris Saint-Germain side that won the Ligue 1, Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue titles.

Harry Kane (England)

The last Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or was Michael Owen in 2001. Kane could break that drought this year, having scored 41 goals in 48 matches across all competitions for Tottenham Hotspur in 2017-18. The 24-year-old has brought that form to England's national team and is the World Cup's top scorer with six goals from just three games. He is hoping to become only the second England player to win the the World Cup Golden Boot after Gary Lineker in 1986.

Neymar (Brazil)

Despite missing three months with a broken bone in his right foot, Neymar enjoyed a prolific first season for Paris Saint-Germain. The Brazilian scored 28 goals and provided 16 assists for the French club following his world record 222 million-euro move from Barcelona last August. He has already netted twice at this World Cup and according to Brazil coach Tite, the 26-year-old has yet to hit peak form, having only returned from his injury layoff in early June. Neymar has finished third in Ballon d'Or voting twice in the past three years and has made no secret of his desire to win it. If he can lead Brazil to the title here, 2018 might be his year.

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