FIFA spotlights the 10 favourites to finish as top goalscorer at the World Cup 2026
More goals than ever before are guaranteed. The 23rd FIFA World Cup™, indeed, will feature 40 more matches than any previous edition. One thing that’s far from a given is which player will score more times than any other. FIFA looks at the 10 men with the shortest odds to seize the adidas Golden Boot.
Kylian Mbappe
France
56 goals in 98 internationals
12 goals in 14 World Cup games
Group I opponents: Senegal, Iraq, Norway
FIFA World Cup™ Fantasy price: $10.5m
If Thierry Henry and Olivier Giroud were 30 and 36 respectively when they became France’s all-time leading marksman, Mbappe is set to do it at 27. As well as netting 39 times in his last 49 outings for Les Bleus, the electric attacker averaged almost a goal per game at Paris Saint-Germain and is doing the same at Real Madrid. Back-to-back World Cup Golden Boots, with elite creators such as Rayan Cherki, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Michael Olise to feed him, is within Mbappe’s reach.
Harry Kane
England
79 goals in 113 internationals
8 goals in 11 World Cup games
Group L opponents: Croatia, Ghana, Panama
FIFA World Cup™ Fantasy price: $10.5m
Harry Kane | Golden Boot Award | 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™
The adidas Golden Boot was first awarded to the top goalscorer of the tournament in 1982 under the name Golden Shoe. It was renamed Golden Boot in 2010. Runners-up are awarded the adidas Silver Boot and adidas Bronze Boot awards respectively.
Could Kane become the first man in history to win the Golden Boot twice? His argument is compelling. The 32-year-old has averaged more than a goal per Bundesliga game since joining Bayern Munich in 2023, and is fresh from his fifth calendar year from the last nine in which he’s scored at least as many times as he’s played England matches. Kane will also benefit from being supplied bullets by the likes of Jude Bellingham, Eberechi Eze, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka.
Mikel Oyarzabal
Spain
25 goals in 53 internationals
0 World Cup games
Group H opponents: Cabo Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
FIFA World Cup™ Fantasy price: $8.1m
Erling Haaland
Norway
55 goals in 50 internationals
0 World Cup games
Group I opponents: Iraq, Senegal, France
FIFA World Cup™ Fantasy price: $10.5m
Lionel Messi
Argentina
116 goals in 198 internationals
13 goals in 26 World Cup games
Group J opponents: Algeria, Austria, Jordan
FIFA World Cup™ Fantasy price:: $10m
Cristiano Ronaldo
Portugal
143 goals in 226 internationals
8 goals in 22 World Cup games
Group K opponents: Congo DR, Uzbekistan, Colombia
FIFA World Cup™ Fantasy price: $10m
Lamine Yamal
Spain
6 goals in 25 internationals
0 World Cup games
Group H opponents: Cabo Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
FIFA World Cup™ Fantasy price: $10m
Ousmane Dembele
France
7 goals in 59 internationals
0 goals in 11 World Cup games
Group I opponents: Senegal, Iraq, Norway
FIFA World Cup™ Fantasy price: $10m
Vinicius Jr
Brazil
9 goals in 49 internationals
1 goal in 4 World Cup games
Group C opponents: Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
FIFA World Cup™ Fantasy price: $10m
Raphinha
Brazil
11 goals in 38 internationals
0 goals in 5 World Cup games
Group C opponents: Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
FIFA World Cup™ Fantasy price: $8.2m
World Cup top scorers
1930: Guillermo Stabile (8 goals)
1934: Oldrich Nejedly (5)
1938: Leonidas (7)
1950: Ademir de Menezes (9)
1954: Sandor Kocsis (11)
1958: Just Fontaine (13)
1962: Florian Albert, Garrincha, Valentin Ivanov, Drazen Jerkovic, Leonel Sanchez & Vava (4)
1966: Eusebio (9)
1970: Gerd Muller (10)
1974: Grzegorz Lato (7)
1978: Mario Kempes (6)
1982: Paolo Rossi (6)
1986: Gary Lineker (6)
1990: Toto Schillaci (6)
1994: Oleg Salenko & Hristo Stoichkov (6)
1998: Davor Suker (6)
2002: Ronaldo (8)
2006: Miroslav Klose (5)
2010: Thomas Muller, Wesley Sneijder & David Villa (5)
2014: James Rodriguez (6)
2018: Harry Kane (6)
2022: Kylian Mbappe (8)
