The race for the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot has begun, and the list is largely littered with the usual suspects.
The World Cup, make no mistake, shapes a player’s legacy, provided they possess a squad that can’t be used as a viable excuse to justify underperformance.
As the group stage continues, these are the contenders for the award, and a list of players who, even if they haven’t gotten off to the most prolific start, remain firmly in contention.
Who is going to win the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot?
On this list are players who have won the Golden Boot for their club at league level, on the European stage, and even previously at the World Cup.
And what sort of list would this be without the greatest football player of all time at the forefront of it? The one, the only, the man with nothing left to prove yet continues to do so: Lionel Messi.
Lionel Messi (Argentina – 3 goals)
Lionel Messi opened his 2026 World Cup campaign with a hat-trick against Algeria, scoring two glorious long range efforts to start and conclude the feat.
Despite his age, fans may have suspected that Messi would do this at the tournament — now relieved of the burdensome pressure that plagued him his entire career.
The lack of a World Cup victory, back when Cristiano Ronaldo’s name was still floated in debates with him, was often used against the Argentine’s GOAT claim, but no more.
With his historic 2022 run placing the final cherry on top of Messi’s near perfect career, 2026 could be the World Cup version of him playing with the shackles off, and finally winning the Boot.
As the tournament’s current leading goalscorer, he remains in perfect position to win the Golden Boot, and with Argentina looking likely to progress far in the competition, his chances to add to that tally will continue to increase.
Harry Kane (England – 2 goals)
Harry Kane, unlike Messi, already has a World Cup Golden Boot to his name, even if it’s one of the weakest in recent memories.
The Bayern Munich and England bagsman has enjoyed the finest year of his career goalscoring-wise, even if that is largely thanks to the much-discussed ‘Bundesliga tax’.
In 2018, Kane took home the award with six goals — an opening game brace against Tunisia, two penalties and a deflected goal against Panama, and a penalty against Colombia.
Even if the striker fails to progress as far as Three Lions faithfuls hope for England to go, the 32-year-old could feasibly bag the award through a solid group stage haul.
Never underestimate the Englishman’s ability to feast against inferior opposition — this isn’t an insult, it’s a testament to his unrelenting drive, treating every game as if it’s do-or-die.
Kylian Mbappe (France – 2 goals)
Perhaps conversely to Kane, who could change the tide for himself this tournament, Kylian Mbappe is a man for the big occasion.
The Frenchman’s goalscoring only appears to improve the bigger the occasion, so an opening game brace bodes extremely well for his Golden Boot chances.
Mbappe pipped Messi, despite losing the World Cup final, to the award in 2022, with a hat-trick in the last game.
The Real Madrid star is the first player in history to have bagged four World Cup final goals, and France look dangerously capable of making a third successive appearance in the event.
Already just two goals behind being the tournament’s highest ever goalscorer, Mbappe will likely go down as the World Cup’s greatest player, and a second consecutive Golden Boot is firmly in reach.
Who are the other contenders?
Erling Haaland also sits on two goals, and is known for being perhaps the world’s ultimate bagsman.
Norway are also firmly on the radar of football fans across the globe as perhaps the tournament’s one true underdog, however, an unfortunate truth stands in Haaland’s way.
Unlike the aforementioned contenders, the Norwegian is simply not known for scoring chances of his own magical making.
And with Norway having a less than illustrious World Cup history in modern times, it remains more possible than not that his national team will stutter in higher pressure fixtures.
If Haaland had an easier group, he would be towards the top of this list, but with France and Senegal as his two remaining group stage fixtures, he faces harder competition to achieve a stellar opening round haul than Kane and Mbappe do.
Folarin Balogun, although unlikely, also sits on two goals and stands a chance at claiming the award.
If anything can get the USA forward over the line, it will be a historic group stage performance and high-scoring early knock-out rounds.
The 24-year-old is likely to play one or two knock-out games at best, but strong showings early on in the tournament could be the difference for the USMNT bagsman.
Elsewhere, Kai Havertz, who bagged a brace for Germany in their 7-1 demolition of Curacao, stands an outside chance, but, conversely, he will likely only do so if his national side progress to later stages.
The German is not known primarily for being a goalscorer, but he is a man for the biggest of occasions, having scored twice in two Champions League finals, and could repeat his heroics here.
Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, although not the goalscoring titan he once was, could face a New Zealand, to Iran, to USA run with Egypt in the tournament, after finishing second in the Africa Cup of Nations’ goalscoring charts earlier this year.
If he can deliver very strong outings in those favourable fixtures, he stands a slim but possible chance.
Mexico’s Julian Quinones stands an even better chance, having bagged a remarkable 33 Saudi Pro League goals last season.
It feels likely that if any of the co-hosts are to make a surprisingly deep run in the tournament, the Mexicans will be the ones to do it.
The Al-Qadsiah man is currently on one goal, however, his upcoming group stage fixtures against South Korea and Czechia are highly favourable clashes for an attacker of his quality.
The 2026 World Cup Golden Boot race is shaping up to be one of the greatest in tournament history.
With so many high scoring individual performances early on (eight player bagged a brace or hat-trick in their opening game!) it feels more likely than not that a higher tally than usual will be needed.
Still, this remains anyone’s award to win, and the victor will surely be a more than deserved one against such stellar and in-form competition.
