It is often said delivering when it matters most is what separates good players from great ones – and the stakes don’t come any higher than in the FIFA World Cup™ knockout phase.

For attackers in particular, these matches represent the chance to fire their nations to glory and etch their names into football folklore.

Indeed, the list of men with the most goals in the World Cup knockouts features some of the most revered players in the sport’s history. Three individuals are out in front in this star-studded ranking, having each scored eight times in do-or-die clashes on the game’s greatest stage.

Electric Leonidas sets the pace
The first to hit the eight-goal mark was an electric Brazilian forward who blazed a trail at France 1938. By the time that tournament came along, Leonidas had already bagged one knockout goal at the 1934 finals, but his solitary strike proved merely a consolation in a 3-1 last-16 defeat to Spain.

Four years later, the irrepressible forward – who was famed for his mastery of the bicycle kick – ensured Brazil would have a much longer run in the competition. Leonidas ignited Brazil’s campaign with a hat-trick in an extraordinary 6-5 victory over Poland in the Round of 16. That win set up a meeting with Czechoslovakia in the quarter-finals, where Leonidas was on target in a 1-1 draw. Back then, that result meant a replay and the attacker struck again as Brazil edged a 2-1 success.

Injury forced Leonidas out of the semi-finals, and his absence was keenly felt as Brazil were beaten by Italy, but he finished the tournament on a high with a double in a third-place play-off victory against Sweden.

Leonidas finished as the top scorer at France 1938 and, of the three men who have netted eight times in the World Cup knockout phase, he boasts the best goals-per-game ratio (1.60).

Relentless Ronaldo draws level
It would be more than half-a-century before someone matched Leonidas’ tally – and it took another otherworldly Brazilian talent to do so.

Ronaldo was part of Brazil’s 1994 World Cup squad but, then aged just 17, did not make it on to the pitch in his nation’s triumphant campaign. Four years later, he arrived at the France 1998 global showpiece as unquestionably the hottest property in world football. O Fenômeno would live up to those sky-high expectations. He notched a brace in his first knockout game – a 4-1 last-16 win against Chile – and struck again in the semi-finals as Brazil drew 1-1 with the Netherlands before triumphing on penalties.

Ronaldo’s tournament would end in heartbreak, however. The striker, it was later revealed, suffered a seizure just hours before the final against hosts France and, after confusion over whether he would play or not, was eventually named in the starting XI. Ronaldo was a pale shadow of the player who had terrified defences throughout the tournament, though, and his impact was limited as Brazil were swept aside 3-0.

Given the anguish of that Paris final, Ronaldo’s redemption at Korea/Japan 2002 will go down as one of the more remarkable World Cup stories.

Ronaldo had already bagged four group-phase goals by the time he lined up against Belgium in the Round of 16 – and duly notched his fifth of the tournament in a 2-0 victory. His next strike came in the semi-final against Turkey, a wonderfully improvised toe-poke finish which decided the game. Then came the final, where Ronaldo’s predatory instincts again came to the fore as he scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Germany, which secured Brazil’s fifth World Cup title. As well as his winner’s medal, Ronaldo left the tournament with the adidas Golden Boot prize.

Ronaldo was back for his final World Cup when the global showpiece headed to Germany in 2006. While Brazil were eliminated by France in the quarter-finals, Ronaldo still added to his legacy, with a goal in a last-16 win against Ghana making him the joint-most prolific scorer in World Cup knockout games.

Magic Mbappe joins the party
Kylian Mbappe was still a teenager when he embarked on his maiden World Cup campaign in 2018, but his exceptional performances belied his tender years as he spearheaded France’s title charge.

His first knockout game was against Argentina, with Les Bleus facing off against Lionel Messi and Co in a blockbuster Round of 16 showdown. Mbappe would prove to be the tie’s decisive figure, scoring a quickfire second-half double to propel France to a thrilling 4-3 victory.

While he did not get on the scoresheet in subsequent wins over Uruguay and Belgium, Mbappe would make his mark in the biggest game of all. In the final against Croatia, he rifled home a superb effort from outside the box as France ran out 4-2 winners.

Mbappe was a bona fide global superstar when Qatar 2022 rolled around. He was in scintillating form during France’s run to a second successive final, following up three goals in the group stage with a brace in a 3-1 Round of 16 win over Poland.

England were then bested in the quarter-finals and Morocco in the semis as Didier Deschamps’ side set up a title showdown with Argentina. In an unforgettable clash, Mbappe became just the second man to hit a hat-trick in a World Cup final – following Geoff Hurst in 1966 – but France lost on penalties after the game finished 3-3.

There was some consolation for Mbappe, who took home the adidas Golden Boot award. Moreover, his treble in the final saw the Frenchman join two Brazilian greats as the only players to score eight goals in World Cup knockout-stage fixtures.