The race for the Golden Boot at the 2026 World Cup is heating up, with several top stars vying for the prize. The award is given to the tournament's top goalscorer, with assists used as a tie-breaker if players are level. Three former winners are participating: Kylian Mbappé (eight goals in 2022), Harry Kane (six in 2018) and James Rodríguez (six in 2014).
Pre-tournament favourites include Mbappé, Kane, Norway's Erling Haaland (making his World Cup debut), Argentina's Lionel Messi, Spain's Mikel Oyarzabal and Lamine Yamal, Brazil's Vinícius Júnior and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo. However, history shows surprises can happen, such as Totò Schillaci winning in 1990 as a back-up striker and Oleg Salenko sharing the prize in 1994 after scoring five goals in one match.
The expanded 48-team tournament includes a round of 32, giving contenders an extra match to score. Teams reaching the semi-finals will play eight games, but Just Fontaine's record of 13 goals in six matches for France in 1958 remains a tough target. Joint winners are no longer allowed; if goals and assists are equal, the player with fewer minutes played wins.
