The FIFA World Cup Golden Boot is one of the most prestigious awards in football. Players compete for the award by scoring goals during World Cup matches. The close contests play out in front of a global audience, making it an entertaining aspect of the World Cup.
Kylian Mbappé is the recent winner of the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot Award. Mbappé finished ahead of Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot standings in both 2022 and 2026. Explore the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot race on SportPesa, including the winners, top scorers and contenders.
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What is the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot?
The FIFA World Cup Golden Boot is an individual trophy awarded to the top goal scorer of the World Cup. World Cup top scorers were first awarded a Golden Shoe trophy in 1982, in Spain. The name was changed to the Golden Boot in 2010, to align it with the more common English football term.
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How is the World Cup Golden Boot Award decided?
The trophy is awarded to the player who scores the most goals at a FIFA World Cup. In 1994, a tiebreaker was established where the award goes to the player with the most assists if there is more than one World Cup top scorer. If the tie persists, another tiebreaker was added in 2006 to award the trophy to the player with the fewest minutes on the field. The second- and third-highest goal scorers claim the Silver Boot and Bronze Boot awards.
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FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winners since 1982
FIFA lists pre-1982 World Cup top scorers as Golden Boot winners too, though they were never awarded the physical trophy. The table below shows the complete FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winners. It also shows the goals they scored to win that edition of the trophy.
| World Cup | Golden Boot Winner | Nation | Age | Position | Club | Goals |
| 1982 | Paolo Rossi | Italy | 25 | Forward | Juventus | 6 |
| 1986 | Gary Lineker | England | 25 | Forward | Everton | 6 |
| 1990 | Salvatore Schillaci | Italy | 25 | Forward | Juventus | 6 |
| 1994 | Hristo Stoichkov | Bulgaria | 28 | Forward / Attacking Midfielder | Barcelona | 6 |
| 1994 | Oleg Salenko | Russia | 24 | Forward | Valencia | 6 |
| 1998 | Davor Šuker | Croatia | 30 | Forward | Real Madrid | 6 |
| 2002 | Ronaldo | Brazil | 25 | Forward | Internazionale | 8 |
| 2006 | Miroslav Klose | Germany | 28 | Forward | Werder Bremen | 5 |
| 2010 | Thomas Müller | Germany | 20 | Attacking Midfielder / Forward | Bayern Munich | 5 |
| 2014 | James Rodríguez | Colombia | 22 | Midfielder / Winger | Monaco | 6 |
| 2018 | Harry Kane | England | 24 | Forward | Tottenham Hotspur | 6 |
| 2022 | Kylian Mbappé | France | 23 | Forward | Paris Saint-Germain | 8 |
| 2026 | Kylian Mbappé | France | 26 | Forward | Real Madrid | 10 |
Players with the most goals in World Cup history
Kylian Mbappé’s 2026 World Cup goals made him the all-time top scorer, with 22 goals. Mbappé surpassed record holders Lionel Messi and Miroslav Klose during the 2026 World Cup. Below is a table with other World Cup top scorers, including former record holders. Statistics correct as of 19 July 2026.
| Rank | Player | Nation | World Cups | Record Held | Goals When Record Held | Matches | Current Goals |
| 1 | Kylian Mbappé | France | 3 | 2026–Present | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 6 | 2026 (16 June – 18 July) | 21 | 34 | 21 |
| 3 | Miroslav Klose | Germany | 4 | 2014–2026 | 16 | 24 | 16 |
| 4 | Ronaldo Nazário | Brazil | 4 | 2006–2014 | 15 | 19 | 15 |
| 5 | Gerd Müller | West Germany | 2 | 1974–2006 | 14 | 13 | 14 |
| 6 | Harry Kane | England | 4 | — | — | 21 | 14 |
| 7 | Just Fontaine | France | 1 | 1958–1974 | 13 | 6 | 13 |
| 8 | Pelé | Brazil | 4 | — | — | 14 | 12 |
| 9 | Sándor Kocsis | Hungary | 1 | 1954–1958 | 11 | 5 | 11 |
| 10 | Jürgen Klinsmann | Germany | 3 | — | — | 17 | 11 |
2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot race
Kylian Mbappé won the Adidas Golden Boot for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with 10 goals. He retained the top-scorer title he first claimed in the 2022 World Cup. Here is how the race for the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot unfolded.
Leading World Cup scorers at various stages
The 2026 Golden Boot race was only finalised in the last stages of the tournament. Lionel Messi led the race through the group stage and most of the knockout rounds. Kylian Mbappé passed Messi in the third-place play-off against England by scoring two goals. Lionel Messi’s World Cup goals tally remained at 8 as Argentina failed to score in the final.
Top contenders to win the Golden Boot
Apart from Messi, other FIFA World Cup Golden Boot contenders included Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembélé, Harry Kane and Mikel Oyarzabal. They each had five or more goals in the 2026 World Cup. Senegal’s Ismaila Sarr was the only African in the top ten.
Players to watch
Most 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot predictions featured Spain’s Lamine Yamal. While he ultimately scored only one goal, the right winger impressed with his ability to pull defenders, dribble and hold possession. Another La Roja player, Pau Cubarsi, was instrumental in Spain’s clean sheets at the tournament and was awarded the Young Player of the Tournament. Breakout African stars included Senegal’s Ismaila Sarr, DR Congo’s Yoanne Wissa, Morocco’s Ismaël Saibari and South Africa’s Mbekezeli Mbokazi.
Memorable Golden Boot performances
Kylian Mbappé followed up his impeccable 2022 form by claiming a consecutive Golden Boot Award in the closing stages of the 2026 World Cup. Mbappé scored 10 goals and provided 4 assists, including memorably assisting in two of Ousmane Dembélé’s goals in France’s 4-1 beating of Norway. Golden Boot runner-up Lionel Messi scored his first World Cup hat trick in a group stage game against Algeria. He also provided two injury-time assists to lift Argentina over England in the semifinals.
ALSO READ: Spain vs Argentina: 2026 FIFA World Cup Final Preview & Prediction
Golden Boot vs Golden Ball vs Golden Glove
The FIFA Golden Boot award is given to the top scorer in the World Cup, usually forwards, attacking midfielders, or wingers. The FIFA Golden Glove trophy is awarded to the best-performing goalkeeper in the World Cup. The FIFA Golden Ball is awarded to the best player across the entire World Cup tournament, regardless of playing position.
2026 Golden Boot records and statistics
Download the SP Score app for the latest comprehensive player stats. Below are the latest FIFA World Cup Golden Boot standings. Statistics correct as of 19 July 2026.
| Rank | Player | Nation | Position | Goals | Assists | Minutes Played |
| 1 | Kylian Mbappé | FRA | FW | 10 | 4 | 769 |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | ARG | FW | 8 | 4 | 853 |
| 3 | Jude Bellingham | ENG | MF | 7 | 1 | 698 |
| 4 | Erling Haaland | NOR | FW | 7 | 0 | 537 |
| 5 | Ousmane Dembélé | FRA | FW | 6 | 2 | 648 |
| 6 | Harry Kane | ENG | FW | 6 | 1 | 732 |
| 7 | Mikel Oyarzabal | ESP | FW | 5 | 1 | 664 |
| 8 | Ismaïla Sarr | SEN | FW | 4 | 1 | 419 |
| 9 | Julián Quiñones | MEX | FW | 4 | 1 | 440 |
| 10 | Vinícius Júnior | BRA | FW | 4 | 1 | 505 |
| 11 | Bukayo Saka | ENG | FW | 3 | 3 | 411 |
| 12 | Deniz Undav | GER | FW | 3 | 2 | 174 |
| 13 | Johan Manzambi | SUI | MF | 3 | 2 | 220 |
| 14 | Romelu Lukaku | BEL | FW | 3 | 1 | 279 |
| 15 | Lautaro Martínez | ARG | FW | 3 | 1 | 368 |
| 16 | Charles De Ketelaere | BEL | FW | 3 | 1 | 385 |
| 17 | Cody Gakpo | NED | FW | 3 | 1 | 394 |
| 18 | Bradley Barcola | FRA | FW | 3 | 1 | 432 |
| 19 | Brian Brobbey | NED | FW | 3 | 0 | 245 |
| 20 | Elijah Just | NZL | MF | 3 | 0 | 291 |
FAQs about the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot
Who won the Golden Boot in the FIFA World Cup?
Kylian Mbappé is the most recent FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winner. In 2026, he scored 10 goals and provided 4 assists to surpass Lionel Messi for the trophy.
Who is the top scorer in the FIFA World Cup?
Kylian Mbappé is the FIFA World Cup’s all-time goal scorer with 22 total goals. He scored 4 goals in 2018, 8 in 2022 and 10 in 2026.
Is Messi the top scorer in the World Cup?
No, Lionel Messi was the top scorer for a time but was surpassed by Kylian Mbappé in the concluding stages of the 2026 World Cup.
Who scored the most goals in a single World Cup tournament?
Frenchman Just Fontaine holds the record for the most goals scored in a single World Cup tournament. He scored 13 goals in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, including 4 against West Germany.
Conclusion
The FIFA World Cup Golden Boot is the crowning achievement for many attacking players’ football careers. It is a rare award that can make careers of emerging stars or complete the trophy sets of living legends. Follow unfolding Golden Boot races in all competitions on SportPesa.
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