2026 World Cup Golden Boot Standings: Messi, Mbappe and Leading Scorers Update
The group stage of the 2026 World Cup has wrapped up, bringing the tournament into its intense knockout phase. The leaderboard for goals features some of the most renowned names in soccer. Once again, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe lead the pack.
Alongside these stars, fresh talents like Erling Haaland, Vinicius Junior, and Deniz Undav have made their mark by scoring important goals that caught worldwide attention.
Golden Boot Betting Odds
Before the tournament began, Kylian Mbappe was the slight favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, closely followed by England's captain Harry Kane. Norway's Erling Haaland, known for his impressive international scoring record of 55 goals in 50 matches, is not expected to progress as far but remains a strong contender.
Other contenders include Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal, who is set to start as central attacker, alongside veteran icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo playing their sixth World Cups.
Recap: 2022 World Cup Golden Boot Winner
Kylian Mbappe made history in 2022 by scoring a hat-trick in the World Cup final, the first man to do so since Geoff Hurst in 1966. Despite France losing to Argentina in a thrilling penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw, Mbappe earned the Golden Boot with eight goals across seven matches, including two penalties.
History of World Cup Golden Boot Winners
In 22 editions of the men's FIFA World Cup, 22 different players have claimed the Golden Boot. Not all were global superstars, showing the award can go to those who shine brightest during the tournament.
When Has the Golden Boot Winner Also Lifted the Trophy?
Only three times has the player who won the Golden Boot also been on the World Cup winning team. It happened in 1978 with Mario Kempes guiding Argentina to victory and scoring twice in the final against the Netherlands.
Four years later, Italy's Paolo Rossi scored in the final to help his country win the title. Then in 2002, Brazil's Ronaldo starred by scoring both goals in the final versus Germany, finishing with eight goals in the tournament.
All-Time World Cup Top Scorers
A new record-holder for most World Cup goals emerged in 2026. Lionel Messi entered the tournament trailing Miroslav Klose's record of 16 goals by three. After scoring a hat trick in the opener against Algeria, he matched Klose’s total and then surpassed it against Austria.
