Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Ronaldo, Gary Lineker… Some legendary footballers have won the Golden Boot award for being the top scorer at a World Cup. Who will add their name to the list this year?
The expanded 48-team format means more matches, more opportunities and potentially bigger goal tallies than any previous World Cup.
Here’s our ranking of the 10 likeliest contenders to claim the Golden Boot at the 2026 World Cup. We’ll be keeping this one updated through every round of fixtures, so keep checking back.
10. Yasin Ayari (NEW)
We stuck Cristiano Ronaldo in at 10th originally. We reasoned that with Portugal’s creative supply, and his actually not-bad goalscoring record of late, he had a chance of silencing his doubters.
But the all-time top goalscorer in the history of international football was utterly dreadful against DR Congo, allowing his many haters to breathe a great sigh of relief. The idea of him catching three goals on Messi, while effectively playing walking football, looks slim to none right about now.
So, in his place we’ll go with a wildcard. Ayari almost certainly isn’t going to replicate his excellent display against Tunisia again, but he’s got two goals already and will be brimming with confidence.
Could we see a James Rodriguez-style scenario where everything just clicks into place for a breakout star? Almost certainly not. But we’re keen to see what the Swedish midfielder does next.
9. Lamine Yamal (-6)
We had the Barcelona superstar in the upper echelons in our pre-tournament ranking, but the fact that Luis de La Fuente didn’t bother risking him until the last 20 minutes, when Spain desperately needed a goal against Cape Verde, does not suggest he’s fully fit.
He might need time to get up to speed. Spain desperately need, given the anaemic nature of their performance in his absence.
Spain’s false start means Yamal should have the bit between his teeth. Don’t rule him out just yet.
8. Alexander Isak (NEW)
Sweden were unexpectedly free-flowing against Tunisia, blitzing them 5-1 and racing to the top of Group D.
Isak shook off a disappointing injury-hit season at Liverpool with a finely taken goal. Matches against the Netherlands and Japan won’t be easy, but he has the latent class to make his mark.
7. Kai Havertz (NEW)
We had a hunch the Golden Boot winner would benefit from a weaker group stage opponent and Havertz netted twice in Germany’s 7-1 win over Curacao.
By no means the prettiest footballer, the Arsenal forward does have the knack of scoring in big matches and we’d be amazed if he fails to find the back of the net for the remainder of the competition.
6. Florian Balogun (NEW)
Momentum is with the USMNT after a thumping 4-1 win over Paraguay in their opening game, Balogun scoring twice.
Both goals from the former Arsenal man were taken with aplomb and he’ll fancy his chances of adding to that tally against Australia and Turkey.
5. Vinicius Junior (↓1)
Vini Jr’s record for Brazil is downright dismal in comparison to his Real Madrid output. Just 10 goals in 50 is simply not good enough for a player of his superstar status.
Not to contradict ourselves, but we just have a feeling that’s all about to change – Vini has an excellent goalscoring return in 2026 so far, and you get the sense he’ll revel in Mbappe not being there to step on his toes.
We’re patting ourselves on the back for that shout before a ball was kicked; his well-taken goal against Morocco will bolster his Ballon d’Or ambitions. Haiti and Scotland next, with Brazil needing a result in both.
4. Erling Haaland (↑1)
The Norwegian came into this World Cup off the back of a third Premier League Golden Boot in four years.
He absolutely obliterated UEFA qualifying, scoring 16(!) goals – twice as many as any other player – as Norway made their first World Cup this century with a sparkling 100% winning record.
Haaland scored twice in the 4-1 opening win against Iraq, but things get considerably tougher from there with France and Senegal.
We are taking Norway seriously, obliged to call them dark horses, but we still have doubts they’ll go as deep into the competition as the other more established powerhouses in this top 10.
3. Lionel Messi (↑6)
Argentina’s legendary captain won the Golden Ball award for best player four years ago, and he was also on for the Golden Boot before Mbappe’s quickfire brace and the absolute madness that unfolded from seventy minutes in the last World Cup final.
Three goals against Algeria, his first-ever World Cup hat-trick, saw him tie level with Miroslav Klose for all-time World Cup goals.
We had our doubts about Messi – playing in MLS past three years, an injury knock heading into the tournament, 39(!) next week – but he’s proven that class is permanent with the individual performance from the opening round of matches.
The early frontrunner, but not quite our favourite.
2. Kylian Mbappe (=)
The 2022 Golden Boot winner is the bookmakers’ favourite to retain the award, and it’s not difficult to see why.
Mbappe is France’s all-time top goalscorer, has a proven track record at turning up at big tournaments, and now he’s on the cusp of overtaking Klose.
Two goals against Senegal – one of them absolutely spectacular – in an opener where France had toiled, was a statement of intent from the Real Madrid star.
QUIZ: Can you name every single player to score 10+ World Cup goals?
1. Harry Kane (=)
No one has won a World Cup Golden Boot more than once – but Kane has an excellent chance to write his name into the history books this summer.
He just claimed a second European Golden Shoe in three years. He scored a career-best 61 goals in all competitions for Bayern, one of the best individual goalscoring seasons of all time.
The England captain ended the season by scoring a hat-trick in a cup final. Thomas Tuchel has everything set up to get the best out of their star man, who – in his own words – is feeling as sharp physically as he ever has before. The omens look very, very good.
That was our reasoning going into the tournament, and Kane didn’t let us down against Croatia. Despite spending a lot of the game quarterbacking, appropriately enough at the home of the Dallas Cowboys, he still scored twice with a penalty and a well-taken header at a corner.
England are effectively already through to the knockout stages and still have Panama, against whom Kane scored a hat-trick when he won the Golden Boot in 2018, to come. Kane’s licking his lips.
READ NEXT: The 10 youngest players at the 2026 World Cup: Lamine Yamal doesn’t quite make the cut
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every World Cup Golden Boot winner since 1966?
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