Hristo Stoichkov — 6 goals, Bulgaria 1994

6 goals, shared Golden Boot. Bulgaria to the semis. Ballon d'Or same year. Career peak.

Hristo Stoichkov shared the 1994 Golden Boot with Oleg Salenko and carried Bulgaria — a nation with zero tradition of World Cup success — to the semifinal. His 6 goals included a trademark free-kick against Germany in the quarterfinal. That same year he won the Ballon d'Or. The peak of Bulgarian football history arrived in one extraordinary summer.