The 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway of June 11th
The wait is almost over: the 2026 FIFA World Cup is just around the corner, and anticipation is building ahead of 48-team expanded international tournament. There are rule changes aplenty to keep on top of, a host of stunning and not so stunning kits to familiarise yourself with, and some rather controversial squad picks that continue to be fiercely debated.
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England are already in North America acclimatising to the hot and humid conditions, and will take on both New Zealand and Costa Rica in friendly matches before their opening game against Croatia on June 17th. The Three Lions are among the favourites to win the trophy, but face a potentially tricky run to the final with a host of big names standing in their way.
While the overall champion is the main area of interest for football fans, a fascinating subplot at any major tournament is the winner of the Golden Boot award. This goes to the player who scores the most goals. In the case of the tie, the top scorer with the most assists get the prize. If that’s level, they presumably saw the boot into pieces and distribute it accordingly. Only joking: it’s based on who gets their goals in the fewest minutes.
Last time around in Qatar’s 2022 World Cup, it was Kylian Mbappe who scooped the award after scoring eight goals for France, including a hat-trick in the final that was ultimately lost to Argentina. England’s Harry Kane became the first Englishman since Gary Lineker to bag the prize in 2018, with the likes of James Rodriguez, Thomas Muller and Miroslav Klose also winning in past years.
Ahead of this year’s tournament, Mbappe and Kane are once again among the favourites to scoop the award, along with Manchester City striker Erling Haaland of Norway, Argentina legend Lionel Messi, and Spanish wonderkid Lamine Yamal. However, there are plenty of underrated attackers who could beat them all to the Golden Boot, and we’ve got six outsider tips to do just that:
Alternative 2026 World Cup Golden Boot candidates - Bellingham to Oyarzabal
Ousmane Dembele - France: The 2025 Ballon d’Or winner has been in blistering form for Paris Saint-Germain this season, plundering his way to 20 goals in 40 games across all competitions. He’ll play an important role for Didier Deschamps’ side, who are in a group with Senegal, Iraq and Norway.
Dembele will play on the right flank for France, bamboozling opposition defences with his raw pace and dazzling dribbling skills. Riding the high of a second consecutive Ligue 1 and Champions League winning double, the 29-year-old will be brimming with confidence heading into the tournament, and could fill his boots over the course of the next few weeks.
Julian Alvarez - Argentina: Looking to be the first side to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1962, Lionel Scaloni’s men head into the tournament in fine form, having finished nine points clear at the top of the South American qualification table. They’re also in a relatively straightforward group, alongside Jordan, Austria and Algeria.
Like Mbappe for France, Messi will be the centre of attention when Argentina are in action, but Alvarez’s goalscoring prowess can’t be overlooked. The Atletico Madrid gem, like Dembele, has scored 20 goals in all competitions this season, and is expected to be a regular starter during the World Cup.
Romelu Lukaku - Belgium: A truly baffling footballer, you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get with the ex-Chelsea striker. A ruthless finisher at his best, a walking meme at his worst, predicting exactly which Lukaku will turn up is always a tricky business. He’s barely played for Napoli this season, but his scoring record for Belgium remains prolific: he’s put away a mighty ninety goals in 120 appearances.
Rudi Garcia’s side face New Zealand - who were battered 4-0 by Haiti in their most recent pre-World Cup friendly - Egypt and Iran in their group, which should provide the powerhouse forward with plenty of opportunities to get on the scoresheet. Whether he can shake off his rustiness to do so remains to be seen.
Alternative 2026 World Cup Golden Boot candidates - Bellingham to Oyarzabal
Jude Bellingham - England: “Who else?” Well, Kane, obviously, but don’t discount the Real Madrid star having a World Cup to remember. Despite Morgan Rogers excelling in the number ten role during the qualification process, rumours suggest it will be the ex-Birmingham City wonderkid who slots in during this tournament.
In this more advanced role, Bellingham could thrive, and a particularly leaky Panama defence could provide an ideal opportunity to rack up the goals. A tricky route through the tournament could see the Three Lions’ hopes of glory ended prematurely, but the 22-year-old should have enough time to edge his way up the goalscoring charts before then.
Luis Diaz - Colombia: Very much a dark horse for the competition, the 2024 Copa America finalists finished ahead of the likes of Brazil and Uruguay in qualifying, and will fancy their chances of progressing as group winners with games against Uzbekistan, DR Congo and Portugal.
Diaz enjoyed an impressive double-winning campaign with Bayern Munich, in which he netted 26 times. He bagged five goals during Colombia’s impressive qualification campaign, and is expected to play a key part in his side’s attacking plans in North America. While not a central attacking option, he’s well versed in cutting in from out wide before smashing the back of the net.
Mikel Oyarzabal - Spain: The Real Sociedad striker broke England’s hearts in the Euro 2024 final, just staying onside to tuck away an 85th minute winning goal in Berlin. He scored five times in qualification for this summer’s tournament, and bagged a healthy 18 goals for his club over the course of the 2025/26 campaign.
Spain are among the hot favourites to lift the trophy next month, with their opening two fixtures against Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia respectively, before finishing up their group games against Uruguay. Oyarzabal could score a hatful, setting him up nicely to notch up some more as his side plunder their way towards the final in New Jersey.
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