World Cup 2026 golden boot standings: Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe early front-runners

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The race for the golden boot at World Cup 2026 is expected to be fierce, with Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Lamine Yamal all leading contenders to finish as the tournament’s top scorer.

France captain Mbappe and England skipper Kane are the previous two winners of the award, after all. Mbappe scored eight in 2022, including a hat-trick in the final, while Kane struck six for England in 2018.

Kai Havertz scored a brace against Curacao in Germany’s opener (Getty)

The first ever 48-team World Cup features an additional round of 32, offering the world’s top strikers an additional opportunity of bagging an extra goal as they dream of embarking on a deep run into the tournament.

If players are tied for goals, the number of assists will determine who ranks higher. If there is still a tie, it comes down to minutes played and the goals-per-minute ratio. Here are the latest 2026 World Cup golden boot standings.