Golden Boot Betting: Vinicius Jr enters the fray after Scotland brace, Kane now 10/1 with Messi and Mbappe at the top of the market

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Golden Boot Latest Standings and Odds

Player	Goals	Country	Next Opponent	Odds
Lionel Messi	5	Argentina	Jordan	7/42.75
Kylian Mbappe	4	France	Norway	2/13.00
Erling Haaland	4	Norway	France	13/27.50
Vinicius Jr	4	Brazil	TBC	17/29.50
Harry Kane	2	England	Panama	10/111.00
Cristiano Ronaldo	2	Portugal	Colombia	22/123.00
Mikel Oyarzabal	2	Spain	Uruguay	25/126.00
Deniz Undav	3	Germany	Ecuador	33/134.00
Mattheus Cunha	3	Brazil	TBC	40/141.00

*prices correct as of 09:30 Thursday 25 June

June 25 Golden Boot Update - Vinicius Jr enters race with a brace against Scotland

Lionel Messi remains the 7/42.75 favourite to win the Golden Boot but another big-name player has entered the race after Vinicius Jr took his tally to four goals scored - one behind Messi - with a brace against Scotland on Wednesday night.

The Brazilian star has now scored in all three of his team's group games, and with top spot secured Brazil will play the runner-up in Group F in the Round of 32. However, that is unlikely to be a straightforward game with either Netherlands, Sweden or Japan set to finish second in that group.

Vinicius Jr's teammate, Mattheus Cunha, scored his third goal of the tournament and can be backed at 40/141.00 to win the Golden Boot.

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June 24 Golden Boot Update - Kane flops, Ronaldo comes alive

A miserable night for Harry Kane saw England limp to a 0-0 draw with Ghana and the England frontman lose ground on his Golden Boot rivals. Kane now trails Messi by three goals, Mbappe and Haaland by two. The Bayern Munich forward was 6/17.00 before the Ghana game but [8/1] now.

In contrast another international legend came alive in his second group game with Ronaldo delivering a brace of his own in a tournament that has been lit up by the biggest names delivering in front of goal. From 40/141.00 Ronaldo is now [22/1] to land the Golden Boot.

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June 23 Golden Boot Update - Mbappe and Haaland both hit braces

Kylian Mbappe is the 6/42.50 favourite in the World Cup Golden Boot market after he scored his third and fourth goals of the tournament in France's 3-0 win over Iraq.

The Frenchman took his World Cup goals tally to 16 in 16 games - two shy of Lionel Messi who earlier scored both goals in Argentina's 2-0 win over Austria and became the World Cup's all-time leading goalscorer. Messi is 13/82.63 second favourite in the Golden Boot betting.

In another sign that this could be the greatest Golden Boot race of all time, Erling Haaland 5/16.00 scored his third and fourth goals of the tournament as Norway beat Senegal 3-2.

So that's Messi with five, Mbappe and Haaland with four each. And they have all only played two games.

On of that, Harry Kane 6/17.00 will be in the hunt for more goals, to add to the two he scored against Croatia, when England play Ghana tonight.

At least one Betting.Betfair tipster is backing Kane to find the net for the Three Lions today. Kane won the Golden Boot when England reached the semi-finals in 2018 and, eight years on, looks just as sharp as he did then. You can back Kane at 8/151.53 for one goal, 13/82.63 for two and 9/110.00 to score a hat-trick that would equal Messi's current total.

It all adds up to a thrilling contest to score the most goals at World Cup 2026 between four of the game's most brilliant talents. Read about all the latest betting moves on this rolling blog.

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June 22 Golden Boot Update - Messi becomes all-time leading World Cup goalscorer

Lionel Messi is the 6/42.50 favourite in the World Cup Golden Boot market after he scored his fourth and fifth goals of the tournament to help Argentina beat Austria 2-0, and in doing so he becomes the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer on 18 goals, two ahead of Germany's Miroslav Klose.

Messi, who scored a hat-trick in his team's opening 3-0 win over Algeria, also missed a penalty in the game and saw his last-minute free kick go inches wide.

Arguably the greatest player of all time, Messi is now two clear in the Golden Boot scoring charts but that could all change in the next 24 hours with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland all in action.

Another dilemma punters will have if thinking of backing Messi at his current odds is whether or not he will play in Argentina's final group game against Jordan. With Argentina certain to qualify, in addition to the newly-expanded format, Messi could be rested in Matchday 3, but with his appetite for goals soaring he may well insist that he's given the chance to add more goals to his tally.

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June 20 Golden Boot Update - Kane, Mbappe, Messi head the market with key games upcoming

We don't have much to report on this Saturday morning though at the head of the World Cup Golden Boot market the Betfair traders are finding it impossible to find a clear favourite with Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi all heading the betting at 3/14.00.

We're coming to a crucial point in Matchday 2 with all the big teams set to play during the next few days and the trio of market leaders will fancy their chances of scoring more goals against Ghana (Kane), Iraq (Mbappe) and Austria (Messi) respectively.

At the start of Matchday 2 Canada's Jonathan David laid down his claim to win the Golden Boot with a hat-trick against Qatar, and he's now 18/119.00 in the market, while Brazilian duo Vinicius Jr and Matheus Cunha both moved on to two goals each and are 25/126.00 to back.

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June 18 Golden Boot Update - Superb Kane goes fav after brace against Croatia

It's been a fascinating 36 hours at the top of the World Cup Golden Boot market and we're now back to where we were before France's 3-1 defeat of Senegal, with England's Harry Kane back as favourite.

Kane was the favourie in the market before Kylian Mbappe scored a brace, which catapulted the Frenchman to favouritism only for Lionel Messi's superb hat-trick hours later resulted in Argentina's superstar shortening to 5/23.50 market leader.

But afer Kane scored twice in England's excellent 4-2 win over Croatia on Wednesday night it's the Three Lions striker who is now favourite to win the Golden Boot at 3/14.00.

Factor in Erling Haaland's brace on Tuesday night and it's been a whirlwind few days in one of the most popular markets on the Betfair Sportsbook, but with no other big names getting on the scoresheet in Matchday 1 - we're looking at your Cristiano Ronaldo - then the traders already believe we're down to a five-man race.

Behind Kane both Messi and Mbappe have drifted slightly to 10/34.33 while Haaland can be backed at 9/110.00. Germany' Kai Havertz - who also scored two in his opening game - is next in at 11/112.00 but it's 33/134.00 bar these five in the market.

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June 17 Golden Boot Update - Messi on brink of becoming GOAT

Lionel Messi is the new 5/23.50 favourite to win the World Cup Golden Boot after a brilliant hat-trick in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria saw him beomce the tournament's joint-top all-time goalscorer.

The 38-year-old - making his 200th appearance for his country - was in brilliant form with his first hat-trick at a World Cup meaning he equals Germany's Miroslav Klose at the top of the all-time leadng goalscorer charts.

With defending champions Argentina expected to go deep in this summer's World Cup, Messi has an outstanding chance of scoring at least one more goal which will see him become the greatest of all time in terms of World Cup goalscoring.

Just hours before Messi's hat-trick France striker Kylian Mbappe had shortened to 15/82.88 favourite to win the Golden Boot after scorng a brace against Senegal, while Norway's Erling Haaland was cut to 5/16.00 after scoring two goals against Iraq.

But following Messi's antics against Algeria, Mbappe and Haaland have drifted slightly in the market, now available to back at 11/43.75 and 6/17.00 respectively.

There are, of course, a couple of favourites left to play their opening games at the 2026 World Cup.

England's Harry Kane who will line-up against Croatia tonight. Betfair Sportsbook make him 11/102.11 to score and 6/17.00 to score two or more.

And Cristiano Ronaldo will play his 23rd World Cup game when Portugal meet DR Congo in the early kickoff. The Portuguese veteran is 8/111.73 to get on the scoresheet.

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Please Note: The below profiles are Kev Hatchard's pre-tournament thoughts along with each player's initial, pre-tournament odds.

Kevin Hatchard's Golden Boot Betting Guide

Kylian Mbappe - France

11/26.50 to win the Golden Boot

Although Mbappe is yet to win a trophy with Real Madrid, his numbers for Los Merengues are very impressive. The 27-year-old has delivered 86 goals in 103 appearances since joining from PSG, and he has won the La Liga top scorer award (the Pichichi) in both of his campaigns in Spain. Mbappe missed a few games towards the end of the season with injury, although many Madrid fans believe he has been saving himself for this tournament. Mbappe won the 2018 World Cup and scored an extraordinary hat-trick in the 2022 final. He has an astonishing World Cup record of 12 goals in 14 games, and is a worthy favourite here.

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Harry Kane - England

13/27.50 to win the Golden Boot

Kane has had a phenomenal campaign for Bayern Munich, scoring a staggering 61 goals in all competitions. That tally included a match-winning hat-trick in the German Cup final and goals in both legs of the Champions League semi-final against PSG. For once Kane is going into a major tournament for England in decent physical nick, as Bayern boss Vincent Kompany managed his minutes towards the end of the season. Kane won the Golden Boot in 2018 with six goals, he'll be on penalty duty, and he has already scored a World Cup hat-trick against Group L opponents Panama.

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England World Cup Match Schedule & Locations

• England vs Croatia - Wednesday, 17 June 2026 at 9:00pm UK time (AT&T Stadium, Arlington/Dallas, Texas)
• England vs Ghana - Tuesday, 23 June 2026 at 9:00pm UK time (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough/Boston, Massachusetts)
• England vs Panama - Saturday, 27 June 2026 at 10:00pm UK time (MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford/New York-New Jersey)

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Erling Haaland - Norway

12/113.00 to win the Golden Boot

Manchester City star Haaland has a jaw-dropping goalscoring record for Norway. He has netted 55 goals in 49 caps, and is already his country's record scorer at the age of 25. Haaland smashed in a barely believable 16 goals in qualifying, but Norway have a tough group, with Senegal, France and Iraq. Successfully backing the blonde bombshell in this market may hinge on what he can do against Iraq, but if you fancy Norway to have a deep run in the knockout rounds, then backing Haaland is a must.

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Lionel Messi - Argentina

14/115.00 to win the Golden Boot

Arguably the greatest player of all time finally secured the World Cup in Qatar four years ago, and he scored seven goals in the process. With a fairly kind group of Algeria, Jordan and Austria in store, there's an opportunity for the Inter Miami veteran to rack up the goals again. However, the big question is whether coach Lionel Scaloni will keep Messi's powder dry for the big knockout games, rather than needlessly run him into the ground in the group phase. At time of writing, Messi had netted an incredible 116 international goals.

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Mikel Oyarzabal - Spain

14/115.00 to win the Golden Boot

The Real Sociedad star scored the winning goal against England in the Euro 2024 final, and he has led La Real to victory this season in the Copa del Rey. An expert penalty-taker, Oyarzabal was Spain's top scorer in qualifying with six strikes, and he netted 26 goals for club and country this season. With Lamine Yamal carrying an injury and Nico Williams not in his usual shape, false nine Oyarzabal may have a big role to play against Cape Verde, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, and I believe he's well worth backing at 14/115.00.

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Lamine Yamal - Spain

18/119.00 to win the Golden Boot

Barcelona star Yamal suffered a hamstring injury that ended his campaign a few games early, and although he is confident he'll be fit for opening game against Cape Verde, I suspect Spain coach Luis de la Fuente will look to manage the teenager's minutes in a group stage that should be fairly straightforward. In any case, Yamal may well end up being more of an assist provider than a scorer (he only has six goals in 23 caps), and I fancy that Oyarzabal might end up being the beneficiary of that outstanding supply line.

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Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal

20/121.00 to win the Golden Boot

With Ronaldo having scored more international goals than anyone in the sport's history, I fell into the trap of backing him in the Golden Boot market ahead of Euro 2024, and the 41-year-old failed to score a single goal. Indeed, Portugal boss Roberto Martinez lost credibility by persisting with Ronaldo for 120 minutes against both Slovenia and France in the knockout phase, and he wasn't rewarded. Only goalkeeper Diogo Costa played more minutes for Portugal in that tournament than Ronaldo. Martinez will probably remain hitched to the Ronaldo wagon, but Colombia, Uzbekistan and DR Congo could be doughty group-stage opponents.

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Vinicius Junior - Brazil

25/126.00 to win the Golden Boot

There's no doubt that Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti has been something of a Vinicius whisperer at Real Madrid down the years, teasing elite performances out of a character that can sometimes allow his emotions to get the better of him. The 25-year-old remains one of the world's best players, but he has rarely shown his qualities on the international stage, and experienced watchers of the Selecao believe he all too often feels the pressure of pulling on that famed yellow jersey.

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Ousmane Dembele - France

25/126.00 to win the Golden Boot

After helping PSG secure back-to-back Champions League successes by scoring the French giants' goal in the final, Dembele is now looking to win the Ballon d'Or for the second campaign running by shining in this tournament. His club form is stellar, but his goalscoring record for Les Bleus is distinctly underwhelming, and he has suffered a serious of minor injuries this term. In games where France can operate in a lower gear, coach Didier Deschamps may choose to manage Dembele's minutes.

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Julian Alvarez - Argentina

30/131.00 to win the Golden Boot

There have been some fine displays from Alvarez in Atletico Madrid colours this term. He was incredible in a 5-2 derby win over Real Madrid, he scored a superb goal in a losing cause in the Copa del Rey final, and The Spider delivered ten goals and four assists in the Champions League. However, the Barcelona transfer target also had a spell in the season where he scored just four goals in four months. His battle with Lautaro Martinez for a starting spot discourages me here.

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Lautaro Martinez - Argentina

30/131.00 to win the Golden Boot

For the same reasons that I'm swerving Julian Alvarez, I'm avoiding a bet on Lautaro Martinez. The Inter skipper was magnificent in leading the Nerazzurri to a league and cup double, scoring 22 goals in all competitions. However, I'm scarred by what happened in Qatar four years ago, as Martinez lost his place in the team to Alvarez after the Albiceleste made a poor start.

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Raphinha - Brazil

30/131.00 to win the Golden Boot

Although Raphinha has been a big part of Barcelona's back-to-back La Liga successes, this campaign has been disrupted by injury. The former Leeds star only started 18 La Liga matches, but still delivered 13 goals and four assists, and he had five goal involvements in seven Champions League games. The only concern here is whether Brazil's goals are going to be shared around, with Matheus Cunha and Vinicius Junior also on the scene.

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Kai Havertz - Germany

35/136.00 to win the Golden Boot

If everyone is fit, Havertz gets into Julian Nagelsmann's Germany XI as the centre-forward. He's the best way of bringing the likes of Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz and Lennart Karl into the play, and having now scored in two Champions League finals, he's shown he's a big-game player. If I had full faith in Havertz's fitness, I'd be all over this, but he was able to start just seven Premier League games in an injury-plagued campaign.

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Ferran Torres - Spain

40/141.00 to win the Golden Boot

It strikes me that Ferran Torres remains one of the most underrated forwards in world football. He scored 23 goals for club and country this season, and in La Liga he scored the same number of goals as Vinicius Junior and Lamine Yamal. Torres is hitting the target with 53.6% of his shots, his highest percentage since his very first campaign with Valencia. Deciding to back Torres comes down to whether you think he'll get the centre-forward role ahead of Oyarzabal, and the clues point towards Oyarzabal.

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Michael Olise - France

45/146.00 to win the Golden Boot

Despite an avalanche of goals from Harry Kane, Bayern star Olise was named as the Bundesliga's Best Player this season, and it's hard to disagree. The former Crystal Palace winger produced an incredible 15 goals and 19 assists in the league alone, although he struggled against PSG in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final. Olise is one of several superstars at Didier Deschamps' disposal, but can the coach find the right combination to unlock Olise's talent?

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Ollie Watkins - England

50/151.00 to win the Golden Boot

Although Watkins' role will that of Harry Kane's back-up, there's every chance that in searing conditions and a longer tournament that the Aston Villa striker will be used extensively. Watkins finished the domestic season in superb form with 12 goals in his final 13 matches. If England have qualified already, Watkins could be let loose on Group L minnows Panama, and in any case he's one Kane injury away from being a starter.

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Now read the Betfair Traders' Betting Guide to Group L featuring England.

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Luis Diaz - Colombia

50/151.00 to win the Golden Boot

Diaz has won league titles in his last two campaigns with Liverpool and Bayern, and he contributed plenty of goals to both successes. The wiry winger netted 13 league goals for Liverpool in their title win, and 15 for Bayern this term. For Colombia, Diaz has 22 goals in 73 caps, and he should get chances to score against DR Congo and Uzbekistan in the group stage.

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Donyell Malen - Netherlands

66/167.00 to win the Golden Boot

Throughout his career, Donyell Malen has been a streaky player, but he hit the ultimate hot streak after signing for Roma from Aston Villa in January. The former Dortmund and PSV forward netted an impressive 14 goals in 18 Serie A games, a glut of goals which helped to push the Giallorossi into the Champions League spots. Malen scored four goals in seven qualifiers at a rate of 0.9 goals per 90, and although the Dutch are in a tricky group, Malen's an attractive each-way bet at this price.

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Breel Embolo - Switzerland

80/181.00 to win the Golden Boot

An important caveat before we start is that at time of writing, Rennes striker Embolo hadn't been granted his visa, so obviously don't back him until that admin is sorted. However, I do fancy the muscular striker to make a splash at this tournament. He netted four goals in six qualifiers, he scored twice at Euro 2024 and he is by a distance the best centre-forward in the Swiss squad. Switzerland should feast against Qatar and compete well with Bosnia and co-hosts Canada, and Embolo will spearhead their attack. An eye-catching each-way selection.   

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Raul Jimenez - Mexico

100/1101.00 to win the Golden Boot

Although he failed to score at the 2022 World Cup, Fulham striker Jimenez will hope to do far better on home soil. The 35-year-old remains Mexico's best centre-forward, and he scored a solid nine Premier League goals for Fulham. El Tri like to send plenty of crosses into the box, and despite suffering a serious head injury a few seasons ago, Jimenez remains an excellent aerial threat. With home games to come against Czechia, South Africa and South Korea, Jimenez can make a flying start.

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Now read our other World Cup previews here!

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