England captain Harry Kane has been the standout performer at the FIFA World Cup so far, ahead of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, according to former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia, who believes the striker has carried England through the tournament with decisive performances in crucial matches.

England topped Group L with two wins and a draw before defeating DR Congo 2-1 to reach the Round of 16. Kane has scored five of England's eight goals and is third in the tournament's scoring charts behind Messi (seven) and Mbappe (six).

"So far for me, Harry Kane has been the most impressive because he has really carried England and delivered when it really counted. They've had some big, tough matches and Kane is one player who delivers in tough situations," Bhutia told PTI in an interview on Saturday.

"Obviously, France, in terms of Mbappe, has also been very good, he's delivered, as has Messi. But when it comes to one person really lifting the team, carrying the team on his shoulders, it has been Kane."

Bhutia said the race for both the Golden Ball and Golden Boot could ultimately depend on how far England and France progress in the tournament.

"I think it depends on which team goes further. If England reaches the final, definitely Kane. If France go to the final, I think Mbappe. So yeah, Kane, Mbappe would be two front runners for me for the maximum goals and best player as well. I think it's going to be between two of them.

"Messi hasn't faced difficulty yet. So Round of 16 onwards, Argentina will also start facing a bit of challenge," he said.

The former India striker, who is part of the Zee 5 World Cup expert panel, identified France, Argentina, Spain and England as the strongest contenders for the title.

"Four teams right now that have really impressed so far are France, Spain, Argentina and England. France is one of the teams playing the most attacking football. If you're looking to pick one team, definitely France.

"The kind of four forwards they have, they are very dangerous. Mbappe can make the difference because he has quality players like Dembele around him. If anyone has to compete with Messi for the highest goal scorer, I think Mbappe can do that," he said.

Bhutia, however, believes Spain could have the edge if they meet France in the semi-finals.

"But if they meet Spain in the semi-finals, I have doubts about France. Spain is picking up its game slowly. If they meet France, then I think France would have difficulty. If France and Spain play, I think Spain would be in much more better position because they can take the wind out of their opponents' sails."

Comparing the two finalists from the previous edition, Bhutia said France's superior supporting cast gives Mbappe an advantage over Messi.

"Because of the teammates, Mbappe is better placed compared to the Argentina side. France has much better attacking teammates. So Mbappe is definitely somebody who can compete against Messi. They have Dembele, who is equally good with his attacking style and passes. Dembele has already got four goals.

"But more than anything, I think he's going to create a lot of problems. He's going to have quite a good assist. Dembele will be one player who does a lot of hard work for the team. And that hard work is where players like Mbappe is going to take a lot of advantage to it and will benefit quite a lot."

Bhutia also described five-time champions Brazil as dark horses rather than outright favourites.

"Brazil is going to get better. For the first time, Brazil is more a dark horse kind of a thing. Usually, when the World Cup happens, we always put Brazil as favourite but for the first time I think they are put as dark horses."

On the long-running debate over football's greatest player, Bhutia said neither Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo tops his list.

"At the moment, based on the way he's playing, Messi is definitely better (than Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal). In this World Cup, at least up to World Cup 2026, if you're comparing only with Cristiano, obviously, based on delivery, results, and everything, Messi is far, far better.

"(But it's) not Maradona, Messi, Pele, or Cristiano Ronaldo. I would consider Brazilian Ronaldo (Ronaldo Luis Nazario) as the greatest footballer ever."

Bhutia also expressed disappointment over the performance of Asian teams, saying off-field issues had hampered their preparations.

"Asian countries went into a lot of challenges this World Cup because of many problems within the region. And I felt that especially Japan could have done much better. They did very well, unlucky in the last minute to concede.

"South Korea was definitely disappointing, but I think Asian countries also suffered due to many political political issues, a lot of off-the-field issues than on the field. So I feel that they have not had great preparation like other countries. So Asian countries did suffer a bit."

He also praised the steady rise of African football, attributing it to the growing number of players featuring in Europe's top leagues.

"They are catching up because if you look at world football now, a lot of African and South American players play in many European leagues. So that is making a big impact on their play.

"I think still it's going to take some time, though not a very long time. I would doubt any African country going to the semi-finals, though Morocco has a slight chance."