Who are the World Cup Golden Boot favourites? Mbappe, Ronaldo, Messi, Kane?

There are a host of top players who could claim the coveted title of top goal scorer, including two from the same team.

Eusebio, Gary Lineker and Ronaldo (the Brazilian one) – the list of World Cup Golden Boot winners reads like a who’s who of attacking greats.

But no player has ever won the award more than once. This year, three stars have a chance to break that streak although perhaps only two of those players have a realistic shot at making history.

Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and James Rodriguez are all looking to bag the top goal-scorer prize for a second time.

Here’s all you need to know about the contenders for the Golden Boot at World Cup 2026:

Previous World Cup appearances: 2 (won Golden Boot at Russia 2018) 2025-2026 club scoring stats: Bayern Munich, 61 goals in 51 matches England scoring total: 78 goals in 112 matches

Harry Kane’s goal-scoring resume is undeniable: World Cup 2018 Golden Boot winner with six goals, Euro 2024 Golden Boot cowinner and a three-time Premier League Golden Boot winner.

He comes into this tournament off the back of a remarkable season at Bayern Munich, netting 61 times in 51 matches. His efforts saw him win the Golden Shoe for leading goal scorer in the European leagues.

Kane will be desperate to bring this form into the summer as he captains England under Thomas Tuchel. He was somewhat disappointing at Qatar 2022, scoring just twice as the Three Lions fell to France in the quarterfinals. With England expected to go deep into this tournament, Kane will be determined to add to his remarkable stats.

Previous World Cup appearances: 2 (won Golden Boot at Qatar 2022) 2025-2026 club scoring stats: Real Madrid, 42 goals in 44 matches France scoring total: 56 goals in 96 matches

Mbappe’s heroics in the 2022 World Cup final weren’t enough to secure victory for France against Argentina, but his hat-trick at Lusail Stadium took his goal-scoring tally to eight for the tournament as the Real Madrid man picked up the top scorer award.

Les Bleus are once again expected to challenge for the title, and a long run in the tournament will aid Mbappe’s efforts to become the first player to win the Golden Boot more than once.

If the Frenchman can score five goals in North America this summer, he will overtake Miroslav Klose to become the World Cup’s all-time top scorer. And at the age of just 27, he has plenty of time to add to that tally in future tournaments.

Previous World Cup appearances: 0 2025-2026 club scoring stats: Manchester City, 38 goals in 52 matches Norway scoring total: 55 goals in 49 matches

Haaland topped the