Moussa Konate, Florian Thauvin, Olivier Giroud, and Edinson Cavani are four players present at the World Cup this summer who scored four headed goals in league play last season, with all holding a connection to France.
Three of the quartet of attackers play their club football in Ligue 1, with Senegal attacker Moussa Konate a star for an Amiens side who punched above their weight, Edinson Cavani at Paris Saint-Germain and Florian Thauvin at Marseille.
Thauvin’s inclusion in this list may come as a surprise to some as he is not considered a particularly brave player nor one associated with being physical. What the France man does possess, however, is a strong leap and excellent timing, allowing him to score four times with headers.
The other players to have scored four times are all associated with being good in the air. Senegal striker Konate is a strong No.9 in a traditional mode, a little like Giroud, who will offer a different type of threat in a France squad that is largely based around technical excellence.
Meanwhile, Uruguay international star Cavani has made a career out of being a prolific attacker in many different dimensions. He scored 28 in all in France’s top flight last season, including four headed efforts. He reserved these for important matches, scoring in such a style against both Nice and Monaco, though he was clearly more effective on the ground.