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

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.