The 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup has delivered spectacular individual performances, with Lionel Messi leading the Golden Boot race at six goals in three matches. Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Erling Haaland and Vinícius Júnior follow closely with four goals each, while England captain Harry Kane and 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo have also found the net. But which nation depends most heavily on their talisman?

Since the 2022 World Cup, Argentina's win percentage sits at 83% both with and without Messi, despite the captain scoring 25 goals and providing nine assists in 30 appearances. Portugal shows similar resilience, winning 67% of games with Ronaldo compared to 63% without him. England, however, struggles significantly when Kane doesn't play — their win rate drops from 76% to just 29%, with the Bayern Munich striker accounting for 32% of all goals.

France's reliance on Mbappé becomes evident when he's absent, as their win rate plummets from 71% to 50%. Brazil actually performs better without Vinícius Júnior, winning 63% of matches compared to 44% when he features. Spain maintains strong results regardless, winning 75% of games without youngster Lamine Yamal versus 71% with him.

Norway emerges as the most dependent team. The Vikings win 69% of games with Haaland but stumble to just 25% without him. The Manchester City striker has scored 38 goals in 29 appearances since 2022, representing 40% of Norway's total goals. Their toothless 4-1 defeat to France in Boston highlighted exactly how vital Haaland is to any Norwegian success.