World Cup Golden Boot Power Rankings: Haaland, Messi, Mbappe…

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. Johan Manzambi (NEW) – 3 goals

Four-goal Vini Jr exits the tournament, so we’ve got a spot to fill.

Call it an honourable mention for the breakout star. He’s been great, but he ain’t catching the three monsters at the top of this list.

9. Lamine Yamal (↑1) – 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 five goals behind the frontrunners.

The teenager is insanely talented, but making up that gap is surely beyond even him.

8. Romelu Lukaku (NE) – 3 goals

For a player much criticised, Lukaku’s scoring record at international level is genuinely impressive.

He opened his account at the 2026 finals against New Zealand, poached one in the last 32 win over Senegal and netted in the 4-1 smashing of co-hosts United States.

It’s Spain next in a match that Belgium are expected to lose. But you can never quite rule him out.

7. Jude Bellingham (NE) – 4 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.

Few would back against him adding to that when he’s in this kind of mood.

6. Mikel Oyarzabal (↑1) – 4 goals

Ordinarily four goals in four 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.

5. Ousmane Dembele (=) – 4 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.

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.

4. 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 absolute ridiculous level of competition he’d face. He’s done very well so far, but three players on seven goals before the quarter-finals is absolutely insane.

3. Erling Haaland (↑1) – 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. With this man in this form, we’re not writing off Norway any more.

2. Kylian Mbappe (=) – 7 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.

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.

1. Lionel Messi (=) – 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.

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