“Sometimes in football, you have to score goals.”
It’s three days into the 2026 World Cup and Thierry Henry’s words ring truer than they ever have.
While the overall trophy is the key focus for all 48 teams, the Golden Boot award for the most prolific goalscorer is up for grabs too.
The winner of that award can be unpredictable, as the trophy hasn’t fallen to a player in the tournament’s winning side since 2002, when Ronaldo scored eight for Brazil on their way to a record-breaking fifth World Cup.
No one has bested Just Fontaine’s record-breaking tally in 1958, when the France forward netted 13 times despite the nation losing in their semi-final. But with 16 more teams and 40 more matches than the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the stage is set for more goals than ever.
So, how does the race look?
This article will be updated throughout the World Cup
1. Folarin Balogun (U.S.) – 2 goals
Balogun scored two goals in 19 minutes in the USMNT’s 4-1 victory over Paraguay to take an early lead in the race for the World Cup Golden Boot.
He sidefooted home a cross from Christian Pulisic to score his first goal in the 31st minute, while the 24-year-old’s second goal came after he received a pass from Malik Tillman, put Paraguay defender Omar Alderete on the floor and blasted a shot with his weaker left foot high into the opposition net. The former Arsenal striker could have had a hat-trick, but his first goal was disallowed for offside.
Balogun was the star of the show in the USA’s opener (FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Balogun began his career at Arsenal. The striker was prolific in the north London club’s youth team and scored two goals in ten first-team appearances before a successful 2022-23 loan spell at Reims (where he scored 22 goals in 39 games and rivalled Kylian Mbappe for Ligue 1 top scorer) earned him a permanent move to Monaco in the summer of 2023.
Since pledging his international allegiance to the U.S and making his debut in June 2023, he has scored 11 goals in 23 games for the side.
=2. Raul Jimenez (Mexico) – 1 goal
Before the start of the World Cup, Raul Jimenez completed a transfer back to Wolverhampton Wanderers on June 9, a club where he scored 57 goals in 166 games. This was before a serious head injury suffered in November 2020 that halted his progress and endangered not only his career but also his life.
In Mexico’s World Cup opening victory over South Africa, the 35-year-old, who had yet to find the net at a World Cup in three attempts, scored his side’s second goal of the game. This took his tally for his nation to 46 goals in 127 games. Jimenez is joint second on Mexico’s all-time goalscorers list. He shares that spot with Jared Borgetti (46) and is six goals behind record-holder Javier Hernandez (52).
=2. Julian Quinones (Mexico) – 1 goal
Before joining the Saudi Pro League’s Al Qadsiah in the summer of 2024, Julian Quinones spent the entirety of his professional career playing in Mexico. He also rejected a call-up from Colombia before pledging his international allegiance to Mexico.
The 29-year-old striker scored Mexico’s and the World Cup’s opening goal in the 2-0 victory over South Africa, and celebrated by copying Siphiwe Tshabalala’s famous celebration from his goal for South Africa against Mexico in the 2010 World Cup.
=2. Hwang In-beom (South Korean) – 1 goal
Feyenoord midfielder Hwang In-beom found space behind the Czech Republic defence and delightfully chipped the ball over Matej Kovar to put South Korea level in a 2-1 victory. The 29-year-old then assisted the winning goal 13 minutes later.
Hwang’s goal was one of the best from the first few matches (Lars Baron/Getty Images)
=2. Oh Hyeon-gyu (South Korea) – 1 goal
Besiktas striker Oh Hyeon-gyu got on the end of a cross from Hwang In-beom in the 80th minute to score South Korea’s winning goal against the Czech Republic. The 25-year-old has scored seven goals in 28 games for South Korea.
=2. Ladislav Krejci (Czech Republic) – 1 goal
Ladislav Krejci, captain of the Czech Republic national team, headed his side into the lead in the 59th minute of their 2-1 defeat to South Korea. The 27-year-old Wolverhampton Wanderers defender was named national team captain in March 2026.
=2. Cyle Larin (Canada) – 1 goal
Cyle Larin rejoined Championship side Southampton in June after a successful loan spell during the second half of the 2025-26 season. In a game where Canada spurned several chances, the 31-year-old striker’s 78th-minute deflected volley helped earn a valuable 1-1 draw against Bosnia & Herzegovina.
=2. Jovo Lukic (Bosnia & Herzegovina) – 1 goal
Jovo Lukic scored a 21st-minute header to secure an unlikely early lead for Bosnia in their 1-1 draw with Canada. The 27-year-old plays for U Cluj in the Romanian top flight, and this was his first goal for the national team.
=2. Gio Reyna (U.S) – 1 goal
Giovanni Reyna came on in the 82nd minute of the USMNT’s resounding 4-1 victory over Paraguay. In the 98th minute, he scored the game’s fifth and final goal with an effort with the outside of his right foot. The 23-year-old Borussia Monchengladbach forward celebrated by covering his ears.
=2. Mauricio (Paraguay) – 1 goal
Mauricio scored a consolation goal in Paraguay’s 4-1 defeat to the USMNT. The 24-year-old attacking midfielder plays for Palmeiras in Brazil, and represented Brazil at youth level before making his debut for Paraguay in March 2026.
Who are among the favourites this year?
France’s Kylian Mbappe and England’s Harry Kane arrive at the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico as the only two men playing to have won the award before.
Mbappe has enjoyed a prolific year with Real Madrid, scoring 25 in La Liga and 15 in the Champions League over 42 games in total. He also scored against Brazil in a March friendly to take his international tally to 56, one behind France’s all-time leader Olivier Giroud with 57.
Kane has similarly been on fine form for club and country. The Bayern Munich striker scored 36 goals on his way to winning the 2025-26 Bundesliga, the most of anyone in Europe’s top leagues, also netting 14 in the Champions League.
The 32-year-old is England’s main attacking threat and has registered five for his country over this campaign too.
Erling Haaland of Norway won the Premier League’s Golden Boot award this year, registering 27 for Manchester City as they mounted a title charge against Arsenal, eventually finishing second, and will look to extend his form in Norway’s first World Cup since 1998.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi has had a strong season with Inter Miami, scoring 12 in 14 Major League Soccer appearances so far this season after winning the 2025 MLS Golden Boot award (29). He scored seven in the 2022 World Cup as Argentina went on to win the tournament.
Previous men’s Golden Boot winners
The award came into play as the ‘Golden Shoe’ in 1982, though the top scorer has been unofficially recognised since the 1930s.
In 2022, Mbappe became only the second man to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, but unlike Geoff Hurst for England in 1966, he was not part of the winning team. The France striker’s eight goals tied him with Brazil’s Ronaldo in 2002 for the most at a single World Cup.
Four years earlier, Kane collected the award with six goals as his England side reached the semi-finals, where they lost to Croatia.
Mbappe scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final in 2022 (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Here are the players who scored the most goals at each World Cup.
- 1930: Guillermo Stabile (Argentina) — 8 goals
- 1934: Oldrich Nejedly (Czechoslovakia) — 5 goals
- 1938: Leonidas (Brazil) — 7 goals
- 1950: Ademir (Brazil) — 8 goals
- 1954: Sandor Kocsis (Hungary) — 11 goals
- 1958: Just Fontaine (France) — 13 goals
- 1962: Florian Albert (Hungary), Valentin Ivanov (Soviet Union), Garrincha (Brazil), Vava (Brazil), Drazan Jerkovic (Yugoslavia), Leonel Sanchez (Chile) — 4 goals
- 1966: Eusebio (Portugal) — 9 goals
- 1970: Gerd Muller (West Germany) — 10 goals
- 1974: Grzegorz Lato (Poland) — 7 goals
- 1978: Mario Kempes (Argentina) — 6 goals
- 1982: Paolo Rossi (Italy) — 6 goals
- 1986: Gary Lineker (England) – 6 goals
- 1990: Salvatore Schillaci (Italy) — 6 goals
- 1994: Oleg Salenko (Russia), Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria) — 6 goals
- 1998: Davor Suker (Croatia) — 6 goals
- 2002: Ronaldo (Brazil) — 8 goals
- 2006: Miroslav Klose (Germany) — 5 goals
- 2010: Thomas Muller (Germany) — 5 goals
- 2014: James Rodriguez (Colombia) — 6 goals
- 2018: Harry Kane (England) — 6 goals
- 2022: Kylian Mbappe (France) — 8 goals
What happens if multiple players finish on the same goal tally?
Since 1992, the ranking if goals are tied has been decided by the most assists.
This happened in 2010 when Spain’s David Villa, Uruguay’s Diego Forlan and the Netherlands’ Wesley Sneijder all had the same number of goals as Muller (5). The Germany legend won the award, however, as he had provided three assists, which was more than the one managed by the other contenders.
In 2006, a further tiebreak was introduced if assists are the same too, giving the honour to the player who scored their goals in the fewest minutes.
