Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Ronaldo, Gary Lineker... Several famous soccer players have received the Golden Boot trophy for finishing as the highest goalscorer in a tournament. World Cup Who will be added to the list this year?
A larger 48-team structure will result in additional games, greater chances for participation, and likely higher scoring totals compared to earlier editions of the World Cup.
Below is our list of the top 10 most probable candidates for winning the Golden Boot at the 2026 World Cup. We will continue updating this throughout each stage of the competition, so make sure to revisit regularly.
10. Lamine Yamal ( ↓3 ) – 1 goal
The sole genuine celebrity who has yet to make an impact on the scoring statistics.
Yamal needed some time to reach full fitness, coming back slowly following his hamstring injury.
He found the net just moments into his debut appearance at the World Cup, showcasing strong performance against Austria, yet he didn’t manage to find the back of the net and now trails the top scorers by five goals.
The young person possesses extraordinary skill, yet bridging that divide seems impossible for anyone.
9. Cristiano Ronaldo (= ) – 2 goals
Come clean, we all watched Portugal versus Uzbekistan expecting yet another Cristiano Ronaldo backlash session.
The legendary veteran striker struggled during the 1-1 tie against DR Congo, facing heavy backlash from critics at home.
However, Ronaldo replied in the most effective way, netting two goals as Portugal dominated their rivals with a 5-0 victory. Although our favorite highlight was his feint during Nuno Mendes' free kick.
It remains to be seen whether the 41-year-old can perform effectively when facing stronger competition in the later stages of the tournament. However, a goalless performance against Colombia does not indicate that he is poised to net his first ever World Cup elimination round goals.
8. Folarin Balogun (= ) – 3 goals
The U.S. Men's National Team has gained momentum following their advancement to the Round of 16 with a 2-0 victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlighted by Balogun scoring his third goal of the competition.
His other two came from a decisive 4-1 victory against Paraguay in their first match.
The hosts seem to be capitalizing on momentum, timing their actions perfectly under Mauricio Pochettino, but Balogun's red card during the match against Bosnia means he'll miss at least the following game.
7. Mikel Oyarzabal ( ↑3 ) – 4 goals
Usually, scoring four goals in four matches would make you the initial favorite for the Golden Boot.
Not this year, with the rivalry being extremely intense.
Oyarzabal's two goals against Austria show that Spain is steadily developing throughout the competition. However, he must maintain this performance if Spain aims for victory.
6. Ousmane Dembele ( = ) – 4 goals
It's hard to accept that Dembele failed to find the net during either the 2018 or 2022 World Cups, yet it's factual.
He came alive during the 2026 tournament, netting a goal in France's second match against Iraq and subsequently scoring three goals in the first half netting a brace in the opening period achieving a treble during the initial half finding the back of the net thrice before halftime completing a triple strike in the first half getting three goals in the first 45 minutes making history with three strikes in the first half securing a hat-trick within the first half of play reaching a trio of scores in the early stages notching three goals during the first half of the match on their third match against Norway.
Although Dembele might be somewhat outshined by France's top player further up this ranking, he has demonstrated at PSG that he can deliver when needed and is beginning to exhibit similar performance for his national team as well.
5. Vinicius Junior ( ↓1 ) – 4 goals
Vinicius Junior's performance with Brazil is truly poor. compared to his performance at Real Madrid. Scoring just 13 goals in 52 matches is clearly insufficient for someone with his level of stardom.
Without conflicting with our previous statements, we simply have a sense that things are about to shift — Vini has shown strong goal-scoring performance in 2026 so far, and it seems likely he'll enjoy having Mbappé absent to interfere with him.
We're congratulating ourselves for that outburst prior to the first kick of the game; scoring four goals during the group stage is an impressive achievement, and the star player is performing well under Carlo Ancelotti's guidance.
Regrettably, he was unable to maintain his winning run against Japan, yet Brazil continues to be involved, and he nearly scored the standout individual goal of the competition. This suggests he's feeling quite assured, at minimum.
4. Erling Haaland ( ↓1 ) – 5 goals
The Norwegian entered this World Cup following a third Premier League Golden Boot win in four seasons.
He completely dominated UEFA qualifiers, netting 16 (!) goals — double the total of any other player — as Norway secured their first World Cup appearance this century with an impressive perfect 100% win record.
Haaland found the net two times in the 4-1 initial triumph over Iraq and replicated his performance in an unpredictable match against Senegal prior to sitting out the game versus France.
We are treating Norway with due seriousness, We are giving Norway proper attention, We are considering Norway as important, Norway is being taken very seriously, We are approaching Norway with gravity, We are regarding Norway with utmost importance, Norway is not being overlooked, Our stance towards Norway is serious, We are acknowledging Norway's significance, There is genuine consideration for Norway. required to refer to them as underdogs but their questionable performance in defeating Ivory Coast leaves us questioning whether they'll advance past Brazil. Alternatively, if not, likely England in the next stage.
Earning five goals back is already remarkable, considering Norway's position. However, they will need to remain in the competition for an extended period if he hopes to genuinely compete for the Golden Boot.
3. Harry Kane ( ↑2 ) – 3 goals
We placed Kane at the top of our pre-tournament rankings, citing his recent achievement of winning a second European Golden Boot in three years. His record-breaking 61 goals across all competitions for Bayern stand out. one of the most remarkable single-season goal-scoring performances ever recorded .
The English team leader concluded the season with a hat-trick in a trophy match. Thomas Tuchel has all systems in place to maximize the potential of their top player, who—according to himself—is in better physical condition than ever before.
Scoring twice against Croatia was a promising beginning, yet he failed to find the net during an uneventful match against Ghana. He managed one more goal against Panama, though England must awaken if their key player is to return to the level seen at Bayern.
Their performance has been indifferent in recent matches, particularly from the wingers who haven’t come close to matching Luis Diaz and Michael Olise. Kane netted a winning double against DR Congo, which improved his prospects once more, yet England have appeared disheartened and ineffective when facing deep defensive setups.
2. Lionel Messi (= ) – 6 goals
The iconic captain of Argentina received the Golden Ball as top performer four years back, and he had also been a contender for the Golden Boot prior to Mbappé's rapid two-goal strike and the intense chaos that occurred after 70 minutes in the previous World Cup final.
Three goals against Algeria, marking his first ever World Cup hat trick, along with two more against Austria made him the top scorer in the tournament's history.
Subbing off the bench to net against Jordan was the perfect finish, establishing an additional milestone as he became the first athlete in World Cup lore to find the back of the net in seven straight matches.
We were skeptical about Messi—playing in the MLS for the last three years, dealing with an injury before the competition, and now at 39(!)—but he has shown that true talent never fades.
He'll be eagerly anticipating Argentina's promising path to the semifinals, beginning with smaller teams like Cape Verde in the initial elimination stage.
QUIZ: Could you list all players who have scored 10 or more goals in the World Cup?
1. Kylian Mbappe (= ) – 6 goals
The recipient of the 2022 Golden Boot is the betting odds leader for reclaiming the title, and it's clear why.
No player has ever claimed the World Cup Golden Boot title more than once — and Mbappé has a strong opportunity to make his mark in the record books this summer.
Kylian Mbappé is France's leading scorer ever, has consistently performed well in major competitions, and is now close to surpassing Miroslav Klose.
His performance against Sweden must be making Paraguay fear for their position.
He appears to be in peak condition and ready to shatter numerous records this summer, having already achieved the leading scorer in World Cup elimination matches throughout history .
TRY A QUIZ: Who are all the recipients of the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot award from 1966 onwards?