{"id":938401,"date":"2026-07-16T08:00:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T08:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/938401\/"},"modified":"2026-07-16T08:00:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T08:00:30","slug":"world-cup-top-scorer-how-will-messi-mbappe-kane-golden-boot-race-be-decided","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/938401\/","title":{"rendered":"World Cup top scorer: How will Messi, Mbappe, Kane Golden Boot race be decided?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cSometimes in football, you have to score goals.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are only four games remaining in the 2026 World Cup and Thierry Henry\u2019s words from 2008 ring truer than they ever have.<\/p>\n

While the overall trophy is the key focus for the semifinalists, the Golden Boot award for the most prolific goalscorer is up for grabs too.<\/p>\n

The winner of that award can be unpredictable, as the trophy hasn\u2019t fallen to a player in the tournament\u2019s winning side since 2002, when Ronaldo scored eight for Brazil on their way to a record-breaking fifth World Cup.<\/p>\n

No one has bested Just Fontaine\u2019s 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, there have been more goals than ever before.<\/p>\n

This article will be updated throughout the World Cup<\/p>\n

What happens if multiple players finish on the same goal tally?<\/p>\n

Since 1992, the ranking if goals are tied has been decided by the most assists.<\/p>\n

This happened in 2010 when Spain\u2019s David Villa, Uruguay\u2019s Diego Forlan and the Netherlands\u2019 Wesley Sneijder all had the same number of goals as Thomas 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.<\/p>\n

In 2006, a further tiebreak was introduced if assists are the same too, giving the honor to the player who scored their goals in the fewest minutes.<\/p>\n

So, how does the race look?<\/p>\n

1. Lionel Messi (Argentina) \u2013 8 goals<\/strong><\/p>\n

(4 assists \u2013 712 minutes)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Messi thought he had scored early on in Argentina\u2019s World Cup opener against Algeria, only for the goal to be chalked off after he was found to be offside. There was no offside question, though, when he whipped one in from 20 yards out later in the first half.<\/p>\n

In the second period, Messi scored his second after Luca Zidane in the Algeria goal spilt a low-range shot from Alexis Mac Allister straight to the Argentina captain, leaving him with an easy finish.<\/p>\n

\"Messi<\/p>\n

\n Messi netted his 14th, 15th and 16th World Cup goals against Algeria. (Reuters \/ Claudia Greco)<\/p>\n

To seal his hat-trick, Messi characteristically bent the ball from the edge of the box as though he was passing to a teammate behind the goal, with Zidane nowhere near.<\/p>\n

His fourth came after he had already missed a penalty in Argentina\u2019s second game against Austria, with the Inter Miami man finishing first time from Facundo Medina. That goal saw him take an outright lead as the men\u2019s World Cup all-time top goalscorer. Messi added his fifth in two games late on against Austria, finishing from close range after his own shot had been blocked.<\/p>\n

And despite not starting in Argentina\u2019s final group game against Jordan, Messi added to his World Cup tally with an 80th-minute free kick. His seventh goal then came in Argentina\u2019s round-of-32 win over Cape Verde and the eighth came in dramatic fashion with the late equaliser against Egypt in the following round.<\/p>\n

2. Kylian Mbappe (France) \u2013 8 goals<\/strong><\/p>\n

(3 assists \u2013 666 minutes)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mbappe helped get France\u2019s campaign off to a strong start, netting twice in their opening 3-1 win over Senegal.<\/p>\n

The Real Madrid striker then opened the scoring once more in France\u2019s game against Iraq, firing in from range. Following a lengthy weather delay in Philadelphia, he doubled France\u2019s lead in the second half.<\/p>\n

\"Mbappe<\/p>\n

\n Mbappe became France\u2019s all-time leading scorer with his double against Senegal. (Charly Triballeau \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

He has kept up his form as the tournament reached the knockout stages, scoring twice against Sweden in the round of 32 with two fine strikes, once against Paraguay from the penalty spot and netting again against Morocco in the quarter-final.<\/p>\n

Mbappe and France could not breach Spain\u2019s defence in their 2-0 semi-final loss, meaning their final game at this World Cup will be Saturday\u2019s third-place play-off.<\/p>\n

3. Erling Haaland (Norway) \u2013 7 goals*<\/strong><\/p>\n

(0 assists \u2013 537 minutes)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Haaland marked his first-ever World Cup game by scoring two goals as Norway beat Iraq 4-1.<\/p>\n

His first goal was a characteristic finish from inside the six-yard box, as he slid in to meet David Moller Wolfe\u2019s low cross from the left. For his second, the Manchester City striker closed down the Iraq goalkeeper and forced the ball into the net.<\/p>\n

\"Haaland<\/p>\n

\n Haaland hit his signature celebration after his first-ever goal at a World Cup. (Justin Setterfield \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Haaland\u2019s third goal came against Senegal in Norway\u2019s second outing of the tournament as he calmly swept home in the second half. A second of the match \u2014 and fourth of the tournament \u2014 soon followed thanks to a clever volleyed finish.<\/p>\n

His fifth was hugely decisive as the winner in the round-of-32 meeting against Ivory Coast, finishing from close range in the closing stages of a 2-1 win.<\/p>\n

Haaland\u2019s sixth and seventh goals came as Norway stunned Brazil in their last-16 tie, with his second in the match a surprise goal.<\/p>\n

4. Jude Bellingham (England) \u2013 6 goals<\/strong><\/p>\n

(1 assist \u2013 574 minutes)<\/strong><\/p>\n

England midfielder Bellingham scored in each of England\u2019s two group-stage wins; the 4-2 against Croatia and the 2-0 against Panama.<\/p>\n

\"Bellingham<\/p>\n

\n Bellingham has scored four goals in England\u2019s last two games (Elsa\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

He then netted twice in England\u2019s last-32 game against Mexico, and then twice again in their quarter-final against Norway to propel himself up the Golden Boot rankings.<\/p>\n

Bellingham sits above his England captain Kane by virtue of having played fewer minutes at the tournament (574 to 627, per FIFA).<\/p>\n

5. Harry Kane (England) \u2013 6 goals<\/strong><\/p>\n

(1 assist \u2013 627 minutes)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bayern Munich striker Kane scored twice as England beat Croatia 4-2 in their opening World Cup match.<\/p>\n

\"Kane<\/p>\n

\n Kane now has more men\u2019s World Cup goals for England than anyone else (Paul Ellis \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

He, like his England team-mates, struggled against Ghana in the 0-0 draw, but then scored his country\u2019s second goal in their final group-stage game against Panama.<\/p>\n

Kane was his country\u2019s hero in the round of 32, scoring twice in the second half in the game against DR Congo. He then scored a penalty in England\u2019s round-of-32 game against Mexico.<\/p>\n

=6. Ousmane Dembele (France) \u2013 5 goals<\/strong><\/p>\n

(2 assists \u2013 492 minutes)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before France\u2019s second game of the World Cup, Dembele had never scored in 19 major tournament appearances. He then scored four goals in a row for France, netting their third in the 3-0 win over Iraq before hitting a first-half hat-trick against Norway.<\/p>\n

The PSG forward added his fifth of the tournament in France\u2019s quarter-final against Morocco.<\/p>\n

=6. Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) \u2013 5 goals<\/strong><\/p>\n

(1 assist \u2013 519 minutes*)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spain and Oyarzabal put their disappointing opening group-stage draw with Cape Verde behind them in their second match, winning 4-0 against Saudi Arabia with the Real Sociedad forward scoring twice.<\/p>\n

Oyarzabal then scored his second double of the tournament in Spain\u2019s 3-0 round-of-32 win over Austria.<\/p>\n

His fifth and most important goal of the tournament came from the spot to open the scoring in Spain\u2019s semi-final against France.<\/p>\n

=8. Vinicius Junior (Brazil) \u2013 4 goals*<\/strong><\/p>\n

(1 assist \u2013 505 minutes)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vinicius Jr spared Brazil\u2019s blushes in its World Cup opener against Morocco, equalising with an emphatic whipped finish after the African side had taken a surprise lead.<\/p>\n

Brazil were in higher spirits when he scored his second goal of the tournament, having been dominant against Haiti and already taken the lead through two Matheus Cunha goals.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Vinicius Jr and Cunha both scored for Brazil against Haiti. (Reuters \/ Dylan Martinez Tpx Images of the day)<\/p>\n

Vinicius Jr scored his third in as many games when he was the beneficiary of a defensive mistake from Scotland\u2019s Scott McKenna, finishing easily past Angus Gunn to open the scoring in Brazil\u2019s final group-stage match, with his fourth a simple back-post header from a teasing Bruno Guimaraes cross.<\/p>\n

=8. Ismaila Sarr (Senegal) \u2013 4 goals*<\/strong><\/p>\n

(1 assist \u2013 419 minutes)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sarr, the Crystal Palace winger, scored twice in Senegal\u2019s second Group I game against Norway.<\/p>\n

The first, an unorthodox but very effective clipped finish while falling to the floor, was followed by a well-taken second in a 3-2 defeat. He added his third of the tournament in Senegal\u2019s final group-stage game against Iraq before scoring a fourth against Belgium in the round of 32.<\/p>\n

=8. Julian Quinones (Mexico) \u2013 4 goals*<\/strong><\/p>\n

(1 assist \u2013 440 minutes)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mexico winger Quinones scored the first goal at the World Cup, grabbing the opener as his side beat South Africa 2-0. He then netted in Mexico\u2019s 3-0 win over Czech Republic, before once again scoring the opener in Mexico\u2019s last-32 game against Ecuador. Quinones added to his tally in the last-32 game against England.<\/p>\n

Perhaps his World Cup goals should not be a surprise \u2014 Quinones top-scored in the Saudi Pro League with 33 goals in 31 games.<\/p>\n

=10. 11 players (3 goals)<\/strong><\/p>\n

*on a team knocked out of the competition with no games remaining<\/p>\n

Previous men\u2019s Golden Boot winners<\/p>\n

The award came into play as the \u2018Golden Shoe\u2019 in 1982, though the top scorer has been unofficially recognised since the 1930s.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s eight goals tied him with Brazil\u2019s Ronaldo in 2002 for the most at a single World Cup.<\/p>\n

Four years earlier, Kane collected the award with six goals as his England side reached the semi-finals, where they lost to Croatia.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Mbappe scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final in 2022 (Julian Finney\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Here are the players who scored the most goals at each World Cup.<\/p>\n