Golden Boot Predictions

The favourite. Mbappé is the most complete striker in world football right now — quick beyond words, lethal in front of goal, and at the peak of his powers at 27. France will go deep in this tournament and he will be at the centre of everything. He has come close before but has never won the Golden Boot. This is the tournament where he puts that right.

Norway have never been to a World Cup with Erling Haaland in the squad. That changes in 2026. He almost single-handedly dragged them through qualification and he will carry that weight into the tournament itself. Norway are not going to win the World Cup but Haaland will score goals. The question is whether Norway survive long enough for him to rack up the numbers to compete for the Golden Boot.

England's all-time top scorer. Kane has had tournament football slightly against him — England often grind through knockout games without him scoring in flurries — but his penalty record is extraordinary and he finds a way to contribute even in difficult matches. England are expected to go deep. If they do, Kane will be in the hunt for the Golden Boot right up until the final weeks of the tournament.

Electric, direct, and capable of moments that make you put your phone down. Brazil will create chances all tournament and Vinicius will be at the centre of that. He has developed the end product to match his dribbling ability — he is not just a wide man now, he is a serious goalscorer. If Brazil play the kind of attacking football they are capable of, Vinicius could end up with a remarkable number of goals.

He will be 18 years old and already a world champion by the time the 2026 World Cup begins. Spain dominate possession in a way no other nation can and Yamal is their most creative player. He is not primarily a goalscorer but he gets into positions to finish, he creates for others, and he is improving so rapidly that predicting where his ceiling is feels like guesswork. At 18, with Spain behind him, he could do anything.

Defending champions. Final World Cup. Motivated beyond words. Messi turned in the greatest individual World Cup performance in history in 2022 — seven goals, three assists, carrying his country to glory on his back. He will be 38 at this tournament and nobody knows how much he still has. But you do not write off Lionel Messi at a World Cup. He has done the impossible before and he will want to sign off at the very top.

41 years old. One last dance. Ronaldo at a World Cup is one of football's great recurring events — he scores, he celebrates, he wills Portugal forward on his own if he has to. Nobody expects him to win the Golden Boot at 41 but nobody can rule it out either. He is still playing regularly and still scoring. If Portugal go deep and Ronaldo finds his moment, there will be nobody in the world watching anything else.

England's most dangerous attacking player in the current setup. Saka is creative, gets into goal-scoring positions constantly, and draws more fouls than almost any player in the Premier League. His partnership with Kane gives England a serious double threat. He is not Kane's volume scorer but his total contributions — goals, assists, earned penalties — could make him England's standout performer if they go all the way.