The group stage of the World Cup concluded in the early hours of Sunday morning; the puzzle of the “32” was complete, the teams have set out on the paths that could lead them to… far-reaching adventures in this year’s tournament, and the big stars are stepping up to the plate.

Lionel Messi scored yet another goal in Argentina’s 3-1 victory over Jordan, bringing his total to 19 across all World Cups he has played in; he is the tournament’s all-time leading scorer and has already tallied 6 goals in the current tournament.

Right behind him, with 4 goals, are Mbappé and Dembélé, who are leading France comfortably, while Vinícius, with plenty of help from Matheus Cunha, has scored 4 goals in the World Cup.

Erling Haaland not only secured Norway’s spectacular qualification for the World Cup finals, but also secured their spot in the knockout stage, scoring 4 goals himself.

Harry Kane of England follows with 3 goals, the same number as Matheus Cunha for the “Seleção,” as well as Dennis Udah for Germany, and the race is still… far from over.

*photo source: AP