World Cup Golden Boot Power Rankings: Mbappe, Messi, Kane, Bellingham…
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. Mikel Merino (NE) – 2 goals
No chance Merino is getting the golden boot, but with Belgium suffering elimination, Romelu Lukaku has to drop out and someone has to take his place.
As we get to the business end of the tournament, those options are narrowing, so having two goals to his name gives confirmed semi-finalist Merino a break into the top 10.
Those two goals have come in Spain’s past two games, including the winner against Belgium, suggesting he’s coming into form just at the right time. But not soon enough for a genuine golden boot challenge.
9. Lamine Yamal (=) – 1 goal
The only proper superstar who hasn’t lit up the goalscoring charts.
Yamal has taken time to get up to speed, eased in gradually after his hamstring injury.
He did score minutes into his first-ever World Cup start, and looked very sharp against Austria, but he failed to get on the scoresheet and is now seven goals behind the frontrunners.
The teenager is insanely talented, but making up that gap is surely beyond even him.
8. Lautaro Martinez (NE) – 2 goals
Lautaro has never translated his Inter Milan form onto the international stage, but he’s still in the competition and sealed the quarter-final against Switzerland.
England’s defence has been creaky all tournament and you wouldn’t write off the prospect of Lautaro adding to his tally on Wednesday.
7. Mikel Oyarzabal (↓1) – 4 goals
Ordinarily four goals in five games would have you as the early frontrunner for the Golden Boot.
Not this year, where the competition is outrageously tough.
Oyarzabal’s brace against Austria is evidence that Spain are healthily growing into the tournament. But he’ll have to keep it up, with Spain going all the way, if he’s to mount a serious challenge.
He found service harder to come by against Belgium.
6. Ousmane Dembele (-1) – 5 goals
We’re struggling to believe Dembele didn’t score at either the 2018 or 2022 World Cups, but it’s true.
He’s burst into life at the 2026 edition, though, scoring in France’s second game against Iraq and then hitting a first-half hat trick in their third against Norway.
The back-to-back Champions League winner had been quiet in the knockouts, but scored the second in the quarter-final win over Morocco.
Dembele may be slightly overshadowed by France’s main man a bit higher up this list, but has proven with PSG that he knows when to come into form and is starting to show it with his country too.
5. Erling Haaland (-2) – 7 goals
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 and matched that tally in a see-saw victory over Senegal before being rested against France.
Despite him banging in the goals – his scoring streak for Norway is now at 14 games – we questioned whether the dark horses could beat Brazil, putting an early end to his Golden Boot campaign. Egg on our faces.
We should’ve thought about the Gabriel factor. Seven goals is a fine return for his first World Cup.
4. Jude Bellingham (↑2) – 6 goals
For years, England have gone into big knockout matches believing they can win. But, crucially, not believing they will win.
Bellingham is something different. Much was made of the conditions awaiting the Three Lions at the Azteca, but the midfielder stepped up with two goals.
He’d already scored against Croatia and Panama in the group stages, taking his tally to four at this tournament.
Another double against Norway has seen him shoot up these rankings. You wouldn’t back against him scoring in the semis too.
3. Harry Kane (+1) – 6 goals
We had Kane at the top of our pre-tournament ranking, reasoning that he just claimed a second European Golden Shoe in three years. A career-best 61 goals in all competitions for Bayern marks 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.
What we didn’t foresee was the absolutely ridiculous level of competition he’d face. He’s done very well so far, but needs a big performance against Argentina.
2. Lionel Messi (-1) – 8 goals
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, and two against Austria saw him become the highest scorer in the competition’s history.
Coming off the bench to score against Jordan was the icing on the cake, setting yet another new record by becoming the first player in World Cup history to score in seven consecutive outings.
That record now stands at nine; his effort against Cape Verde was reminiscent of Dennis Bergkamp’s famous goal at France ’98.
Messi missed a penalty against Egypt – to go alongside his failure from the spot against Austria – but still scored as Argentina staged a stunning comeback.
We had our doubts about Messi – playing in MLS past three years, an injury knock heading into the tournament, now 39(!) – but he’s proven that class is permanent.
1. Kylian Mbappe (+1) – 8 goals
The 2022 Golden Boot winner is the bookmakers’ favourite to retain the award, and it’s not difficult to see why.
No one has won a World Cup Golden Boot more than once – and Mbappe has an excellent chance to write his name into the history books this summer.
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.
His statement performance against Sweden was followed by a crucial penalty in the last 16 match with Paraguay and another in the quarters against Morocco.
He looks to be at the top of his game and capable of breaking all kinds of records this summer, having already become the World Cup’s all-time top knockout-stage goalscorer.
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