France talisman Kylian Mbappe, the 2022 World Cup Golden Boot winner, Argentina icon Lionel Messi, and England’s Harry Kane lead the cast of star-studded cluster of main contenders to finish as top scorer at the 2026 World Cup.
Mbappe scored a brilliant brace in France’s 3-1 victory over Senegal, which was swiftly followed by an Erling Haaland double for Norway. Messi then did what he does best and scored a sensational hat-trick for Argentina to move level with Miroslav Klose as the highest scorer in World Cup history. In his very next game, he broke that record, taking his tally to 18 overall with a brace.
Kane scored two of his own in England’s opening win over Croatia, but it’s Messi who leads the Golden Boot odds at 2/1.
Check out the latest World Cup 2026 top goalscorer odds below, as well as the current top scorer standings.
Latest World Cup 2026 Golden Boot odds
World Cup 2026 Top Scorer Standings
Here’s how the current table looks in the race for the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot.
Who are the favourites for the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot?
Lionel Messi
The crowning moment of Lionel Messi’s glittering international career came four years ago in Qatar as he lifted the World Cup trophy and in what will surely be his final World Cup, the legendary forward is out to make more headlines in the USA, Mexico and Canada in 2026.
Messi wasted no time in making an impact, producing a stunning hat-trick in Argentina’s opening match against Argentina. He was expected to push Klose’s all-time record close at the tournament, but nobody would have expected him to equal it after one game. Even fewer people would have predicted he’d have the record outright after two games. But he does, adding another two goals against Austria, making it 18 overall at World Cups. Five have come in 2026 so far, a tally that he’ll no doubt add to in search of a first World Cup Golden Boot.
Kylian Mbappe
Going into the 2022 World Cup Final, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi were level on five goals each. But the famous hat-trick the French forward scored was enough to edge him past Messi and win him the Golden Boot for that version of the tournament, despite his team going on to lose on penalties to Argentina.
The 27-year-old appears to have hit full throttle at Real Madrid this season and has been scoring at a better rate than a goal a game across all competitions. He did the same for France in qualifying for this competition, finding the net five times in only four games.
The draw has handed Les Bleus a fairly tough group but that didn’t stop Mbappe from beginning his campaign with a stunning brace in a 3-1 win over Senegal – two goals that took him to the top of France’s all-time leading scorer charts. He added another two against Iraq, moving level with Miroslav Klose as the second-highest goalscorer in World Cup history.
Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland has broken all kinds of records in his relatively short career but the 16 goals he racked up in just eight World Cup 2026 qualifiers is arguably one of his most astonishing achievements to date.
This is Haaland’s first ever World Cup and unfortunately for him, the draw has handed Landslaget a tough group with France and Senegal to face in the group stages. But little phases the 25-year-old who has scored 100 times in 112 Premier League appearances since joining Manchester City in 2022.
And Haaland has already scored four goals at the World Cup, bagging braces against Iraq and Senegal so far. All eyes will be on the final group game showdown against Mbappe.
Harry Kane
The 2018 World Cup Golden Boot winner was England’s Harry Kane and despite now being 32, the goals have shown no sign of drying up for the superstar striker.
Kane came into the 2026 World Cup having scored 61 goals in 51 games for Bayern Munich across all competitions, dreaming of more for England. He started the tournament with a brace against Croatia, taking his total World Cup tally to 10. No Englishman has scored more World Cup goals than Kane, who drew level with Gary Lineker. All eyes will be on final group stage opponents Panama, against whom Kane scored a hat-trick in 2018 en route to the World Cup Golden Boot.
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Kai Havertz
Kai Havertz has emerged as a serious contender in the Golden Boot race after making a flying start to the tournament with two goals in Germany’s opening match, leaving him tied among the competition’s leading scorers. His early exploits have seen him shorten significantly in the betting and move into third favouritism for the award behind only the market leaders.
The 27-year-old has enjoyed a productive campaign at club level and remains one of Germany’s most important attacking outlets, with his intelligent movement and ability to find space making him a constant threat in and around the penalty area. Coach Julian Nagelsmann has placed his trust in Havertz to lead the line despite strong competition for places, and the forward has already repaid that faith on the biggest stage.
With Germany’s creative talents supplying opportunities behind him and confidence high after his impressive start, Havertz looks well placed to add to his tally as the tournament progresses. If Die Mannschaft can make a deep run into the knockout rounds, the Arsenal star could prove to be one of the standout value selections in the Golden Boot market.
Falorin Balogun
Folarin Balogun has surged into Golden Boot contention after announcing himself on the world stage with a superb brace in the United States’ emphatic 4-1 victory over Paraguay. The Monaco striker’s clinical display saw him become the first American player since 1930 to score twice in a World Cup match, instantly propelling him towards the top of the scoring charts.
Still only 24, Balogun possesses the pace, movement and finishing ability to trouble any defence, and his early tournament form has quickly established him as one of the standout attacking performers. Having chosen to represent the United States despite interest from England, he is now repaying that faith on the biggest stage and has emerged as the focal point of Mauricio Pochettino’s exciting young side.
With creative talents such as Christian Pulisic, Giovanni Reyna and Malik Tillman providing ammunition, Balogun should continue to receive plenty of goalscoring opportunities as the tournament progresses. If the USA can build on their impressive opening performance and make a deep run on home soil, the in-form striker could prove to be one of the most dangerous challengers in the Golden Boot race.
Cristiano Ronaldo
He may have turned 41 before the 2026 World Cup got underway, but one thing is for sure – you can never quite write off Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Al-Nassr forward has continued to score goals at an incredible rate in the Saudi Pro League and his career numbers are favourable even compared to Lionel Messi and with 161 Portugal goals to his name he is the highest scoring international footballer of all time.
Some fans may have written him off after Portugal’s opening, a draw against DR Congo. But Ronaldo scored twice in the next match, opening his 2026 World Cup account to make history. He is the first man to score in six World Cup tournaments, and became Portugal’s all-time leading scorer in the competition.
World Cup Golden Boot tips
Harry Kane looks overpriced at 6/1 with bet365 to win the Golden Boot and the Bayern Munich striker has every chance of ending the tournament as the top scorer once again.
The England captain is enjoying another sensational campaign in Germany, finishing the 2025-26 Bundesliga season with a remarkable 36 goals in just 31 appearances for Bayern Munich. Kane also arrives in excellent form after ending the domestic season with a hat-trick against Cologne and has now scored 98 Bundesliga goals in only 94 games since joining Bayern in 2023.
England’s attack still revolves around Kane and their struggles without him earlier this year only highlighted how important he remains to Thomas Tuchel’s side. With Panama again waiting in the group stage alongside Croatia and Ghana, Kane will back himself to make a fast start just as he did when he claimed the Golden Boot in 2018.
Few forwards in world football can match Kane’s consistency in front of goal right now and, given many expect England to go deep into the competition, the Bayern man looks a strong contender to lead the scoring charts for a second time.
2026 World Cup Golden Boot FAQs
How is the World Cup Golden Boot decided?
The player who finishes the tournament with the most goals wins the Golden Boot. If two or more players tie, the player with the most assists wins the award. If a tie remains, minutes played decides the winner, with the player who played the fewest minutes taking the award.
However, most Golden Boot World Cup outright markets are actually ‘Top Scorer’ markets – which is slightly different as explained below.
What’s the difference between the Golden Boot and Top Scorer?
The difference between the Golden Boot and the Top Scorer market is that there are no tie-breaks and the market considers players to be joint-winners of the Top Scorer market. If players tie, dead heat rules will apply.
This usually means that you divide the total stake by the number of players involved in the dead heat and then multiply it by the odds at which you placed your bet. However, please check with your chosen bookmaker for their Dead Heat rules before you place your bet.
How many goals does it take to win the Golden Boot?
This varies from tournament to tournament and given that teams at the 2026 World Cup tournament will need to play more games than ever before in order to lift the trophy, it’s hard to even give an estimated answer.
The number of goals scored by the top goalscorer so far in World Cup history ranges from 13 by Just Fontaine in 1958, to just four in 1962, a number which six different players achieved in that tournament.
Who won the 2022 World Cup Golden Boot?
Kylian Mbappe was the 2022 World Cup Golden Boot winner after he scored a hat-trick in the final against Argentina to take his total to eight goals in the competition.
Who has the most goals in World Cup history?
Lionel Messi currently holds the record for World Cup goals, having scored 18 times in 28 games since his debut in 2006.
Who has scored the most goals in a single World Cup?
Just Fontaine scored the most goals in a single World Cup in 1958 when he scored an incredible 13 goals in just six games. The next closest is Sandor Kocsis, who scored 11 for Hungary four years earlier in 1954.
Since the turn of the millennium, Ronaldo in 2002 and Kylian Mbappe in 2022 managed the most in one tournament with a total of eight.
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