Which player has scored the highest percentage of their team’s goals at a World Cup? | The Knowledge

“In 1986, Gary Lineker scored six of England’s seven World Cup goals,” writes Brendon O’Mahony. “Has anyone scored a higher proportion of their country’s goals at a World Cup? Let’s exclude teams who were knocked out in the group stage or who scored three goals or fewer ” A number of you mentioned Oleg Salenko, the Russian striker who matched Lineker by scoring six of their seven goals at USA 94. That included five in one game against Cameroon, which turned out to be Salenko’s last in international football at the age of 24. Russia went out at the group stage despite Salenko’s romp, so he doesn’t meet the criteria laid out in Brendon’s question. But there are dozens of net-botherers who do. Enormous thanks to Mirosław Skaczkowski, who has been through every men’s World Cup and confirms that Gary Lineker is indeed top of the list. In winning the Golden Boot at Mexico 86, Lineker scored 85.71% of England’s goals (Peter Beardsley scored the other one, in case you were wondering). Gary Lineker celebrates his hat-trick against Poland in Monterrey. Photograph: Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Second on the list wasn’t even a centre-forward. Northern Ireland’s Peter McParland was rated by Jimmy Greaves as “one of the most dangerous wingers I have ever seen, cutting through defences at tremendous speed and finishing with cannonball shots”. …