Our best outright bets and each-way picks for the Golden Boot in this summer's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
No player has ever won the World Cup Golden Boot more than once but Kylian Mbappe is favourite to follow up his top goalscorer award from Qatar with another in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The Frenchman’s eight goals in the last World Cup just beat Lionel Messi’s total of seven and they are two of the first three in the betting this time around, with 2018 winner Harry Kane sandwiched between the pair.
Here we have one main tip and two each-way long shots for this showpiece event in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
World Cup 2026 Golden Boot Tips
Best Bet: Kylian Mbappe @ 6/1
Each-way selection: Julian Alvarez @ 33/1
Each-way selection: Luis Diaz @ 50/1
Mbappe could be first to repeat
Best Bet: Kylian Mbappe @ 6/1
In an expanded 48-team World Cup, there should be plenty of opportunities for players to rack up the goals so it may take someone to match or perhaps even better Kylian Mbappe’s total of eight from last time to win this year’s Golden Boot.
After an extremely disappointing club season for Real Madrid, France’s talisman will be keen to make a major impact, particularly given the fact that Paris Saint-Germain have won back-to-back Champions League titles since his departure.
Despite Los Blancos’ poor campaign, Mbappe continues to score at a rate which almost nobody in Europe can match. The 27-year-old scored 42 goals in 44 games in all competitions for his club this season, as well as chipping in with five goals in France’s six qualifiers.
The strength in depth of the France squad in attacking areas is the envy of every other team in this tournament and Mbappe will have the likes of Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue, Rayan Cherki and Ousmane Dembele filling the three positions behind him.
Les Bleus should create plenty of chances for their talisman and he has a penchant for the big occasion, starring in 2018 when he took the Young Player of the Tournament award and performing even better four years later in Qatar.
His performance in the 2022 final, in which he scored a hat-trick in vain as his team lost on penalties to Argentina, is one of the best individual showings in World Cup history and he looks capable of having a huge impact once more in this tournament.
Going deep in the competition is hugely important to a player’s chances of winning the Golden Boot and he plays for a team who have reached the final in the last two editions of the World Cup.
France’s group this year could be easier, they face Senegal, Iraq and Norway, but they will face a third-placed team if they top the section and Mbappe could rack up the score.
While it may be true that no player has ever won the Golden Boot twice, in a motivated Mbappe looking to put a disappointing season behind him, there will not be many better candidates to do so.
Alvarez a fine foil to Messi
Each-way selection: Julian Alvarez @ 33/1
Lionel Messi finished the 2022 World Cup on seven goals to finish second and he is 12/1 to go one better and win the Golden Boot this time around.
However, at a much bigger price, his likely partner up front Julian Alvarez looks a much more tempting proposition. The Atletico Madrid forward may have only scored eight goals in 22 La Liga games but he was a star in the Champions League, with 10 strikes in 15 matches.
That could translate well to this World Cup and Argentina have landed in a soft group in which they could rack up the goals. Austria should be a tough challenge in the section but Algeria and Jordan could be outclassed by the defending champions and Alvarez’s contributions could be key.
At 33/1 the 25-year-old, who is reportedly on Barcelona’s radar this summer, looks a very tempting each-way option.
Diaz the main man for Colombia
Each-way selection: Luis Diaz @ 50/1
The 2014 World Cup in Brazil was the tournament which announced James Rodriguez to the big stage but it could be Luis Diaz who steals the headlines for Colombia in 2026.
La Tricolor are essentially built around the connection between Rodriguez and Diaz and only Lionel Messi scored more than Diaz’s seven in South American qualifying.
The 29-year-old has taken his game to the next level since his move to Bayern Munich and he managed 26 goals in all competitions for the Bavarians this season.
Portugal are a tough team to be sharing a group with but Colombia should be far too strong for Uzbekistan and DR Congo and the Coffee Growers could rack up the score in those games.
Diaz may be a beneficiary of that and looks a lively outsider in the Golden Boot market.
