The battle for World Cup glory is underway in North America.
Heavyweight soccer nations are looking to unseat champions Argentina, who know nobody has retained the title since their great rivals Brazil did back in 1962.
The contest to win the Golden Boot could be even more wide open.
Many of the world’s leading strikers are in action, alongside two notable all-time greats. But the World Cup can also be an opportunity for previously unknown goal-getters to make a name for themselves.
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FIFA World Cup 2026 top scorers
Table updated after first three matches on Sunday, June 21
| Rank | Player | Team | Goals (Penalties) |
Assists | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Deniz Undav | Germany | 3 (0) | 2 | 2 |
| 2. | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 3 (0) | 0 | 1 |
| 3. | Jonathan David | Canada | 3 (0) | 0 | 2 |
| 4. | Vinicius Junior | Brazil | 2 (0) | 1 | 2 |
| = | Mikel Oyarzabal | Spain | 2 (0) | 1 | 2 |
| = | Cyle Larin | Canada | 2 (0) | 0 | 2 |
| = | Folarin Balogun | United States | 2 (0) | 0 | 2 |
| = | Kai Havertz | Germany | 2 (1) | 0 | 2 |
| = | Yasin Ayari | Sweden | 2 (0) | 0 | 2 |
| = | Elijah Just | New Zealand | 2 (0) | 0 | 1 |
| = | Erling Haaland | Norway | 2 (0) | 0 | 1 |
| = | Kylian Mbappe | France | 2 (0) | 0 | 1 |
| = | Erling Haaland | Norway | 2 (0) | 0 | 1 |
| = | Harry Kane | England | 2 (1) | 0 | 1 |
| = | Johan Manzambi | Switzerland | 2 (0) | 0 | 2 |
| = | Ismael Saibari | Morocco | 2 (0) | 0 | 2 |
| = | Matheus Cunha | Brazil | 2 (0) | 0 | 2 |
| = | Brian Brobbey | Netherlands | 2 (0) | 0 | 2 |
| = | Cody Gakpo | Netherlands | 2 (0) | 1 | 2 |
| = | Crysencio Summerville | Netherlands | 2 (0) | 0 | 2 |
| + | Maxi Araujo | Uruguay | 2 (0) | 1 | 2 |
Odds to win 2026 World Cup Golden Boot
The winners of the previous two World Cup Golden Boots led the pre-tournament betting in 2026, with France star Kylian Mbappe the marginal favorite ahead of England captain Harry Kane with DraftKings Sportsbook.
Norway are not expected to go as deep into the tournament as France or England, but Erling Haaland’s remarkable record of 55 goals in 50 internationals means it would be no surprise to see him in a familiar position at the top of the standings.
Haaland and Mikel Oyarzabal, who is expected to start as Spain’s central attacker, are ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the betting as the veteran superstars compete in their sixth World Cups.
| Player | Country | DraftKings Sportsbook |
|---|---|---|
| Kylian Mbappe | France | +330 |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | +400 |
| Harry Kane | England | +450 |
| Mikal Oyarzabal | Spain | +900 |
| Erling Haaland | Norway | +1200 |
| Deniz Uvdav | Germany | +1800 |
| Vinicius Junior | Brazil | +2000 |
| Kai Havertz | Germany | +2000 |
| Matheus Cunha | Brazil | +2200 |
Who won World Cup 2022 Golden Boot?
Kylian Mbappe made history by becoming the first man since England hero Geoff Hurst in 1966 to score a hat-trick in the World Cup final.
Mbappe also converted his penalty in the shootout after a thrilling 3-3 draw against Argentina but Les Bleus ultimately came up agonisingly short.
There was at least the consolation for Mbappe of taking home the Golden Boot, following on from his four-goal showing on his triumphant World Cup debut in 2018.
Every World Cup Golden Boot winner
There have been 22 men’s World Cup tournaments and 22 different winners of the Golden Boot.
A scan of the all-time winners below makes it clear that it’s not always the star players who come away with the prestigious award.
| Year | Player | Nation | Goals |
| 1930 | Guillermo Stabile | Argentina | 8 |
| 1934 | Oldrich Nejedly | Czechoslovakia | 5 |
| 1938 | Leonidas | Brazil | 7 |
| 1950 | Ademir | Brazil | 8 |
| 1954 | Sandor Kocsis | Hungary | 11 |
| 1958 | Just Fontaine | France | 13 |
| 1962 | Florian Albert | Hungary | 4 |
| 1966 | Eusebio | Portugal | 9 |
| 1970 | Gerd Muller | West Germany | 10 |
| 1974 | Grzegorz Lato | Poland | 7 |
| 1978 | Mario Kempes | Argentina | 6 |
| 1982 | Paolo Rossi | Italy | 6 |
| 1986 | Gary Lineker | England | 6 |
| 1990 | Salvatore Schillaci | Italy | 6 |
| 1994 | Oleg Salenko | Russia | 6 |
| 1998 | Davor Suker | Croatia | 6 |
| 2002 | Ronaldo | Brazil | 8 |
| 2006 | Miroslav Klose | Germany | 5 |
| 2010 | Thomas Muller | Germany | 5 |
| 2014 | James Rodriguez | Colombia | 6 |
| 2018 | Harry Kane | England | 6 |
| 2022 | Kylian Mbappe | France | 8 |
How many Golden Boot winners also won the World Cup?
There have been 22 previous editions of the men’s FIFA World Cup, but there have only been three occasions when the champion also had a player atop the Golden Boot rankings.
The first one came in 1978, as Mario Kempes helped lead Argentina to triumph on home soil, including two goals in the final against the Netherlands.
The following edition it was another goal poacher, this time Italian forward Paolo Rossi, who also scored in the final to help the Azzurri cap their magical run with the title.
Another 20 years passed before the next player to do it, and it was one of the all-time greats. Brazil forward Ronaldo was the star of the 2002 World Cup and he delivered for his country, scoring both goals in the final against Germany.
Ronaldo’s eight goals in that 2002 tournament are the most scored in a single tournament since Germany’s Gerd Muller hit double digits in 1970.
Who has the most goals in World Cup history?
There are only 13 players who can boast of having double-digit goal totals in FIFA World Cup history. And there’s just one active player on that elite list, who is also heading to Qatar 2022.
Germany’s Thomas Muller entered the 2022 FIFA World Cup knowing that two goals would have had him even with the legendary Pele of Brazil, but the Bayern Munich man went goalless in Qatar.
| Player | Nation | Goals | Tournaments |
| Miroslav Klose | Germany | 16 | 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 16 | 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 |
| Ronaldo | Brazil | 15 | 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 |
| Gerd Muller | Germany | 14 | 1970, 1974 |
| Kylian Mbappe | France | 14 | 2018, 2022 |
| Just Fontaine | France | 13 | 1958 |
| Pele | Brazil | 12 | 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970 |
| Sandor Kocsis | Hungary | 11 | 1954 |
| Jurgen Klinsmann | Germany | 11 | 1990, 1994, 1998 |
| Helmut Rahn | Germany | 10 | 1954, 1958 |
| Gary Linekar | England | 10 | 1986, 1990 |
| Gabriel Batistuta | Argentina | 10 | 1994, 1998, 2002 |
| Teofilo Cubillas | Peru | 10 | 1970, 1974, 1982 |
| Thomas Muller | Germany | 10 | 2010, 2014, 2018 |
| Grzegorz Lato | Poland | 10 | 1974, 1978, 1982 |