Three days into the 2026 World Cup and Folarin Balogun is already making the Golden Boot conversation his own. Two goals in 19 minutes against Paraguay. The former Arsenal academy product, now of Monaco, looks like he belongs on the biggest stage — and the USMNT's 4-1 opener gave him every reason to believe this tournament could define his career.
His first was a clinical sidefoot from a Pulisic cross. His second was better — received a pass from Tillman, put Omar Alderete on the floor, and smashed it high into the net with his weaker left foot. He could have had a hat-trick; a disallowed goal for offside denied him that. At 24, having scored 22 goals in a single Ligue 1 season at Reims back in 2022-23, this is not a player stumbling into form.
The chasing pack after matchday one
Eight players sit level on one goal, and the group is genuinely diverse in both profile and quality.
- Raul Jimenez (Mexico): At 35, he'd never scored at a World Cup in three previous attempts. He ended that in Mexico's 2-0 win over South Africa, his 46th international goal — level with Borgetti and closing on Hernandez's all-time record of 52.
- Julian Quinones (Mexico): Scored the tournament's opening goal and celebrated by mimicking Tshabalala's iconic 2010 celebration — against Mexico, no less. The cheek of it.
- Hwang In-beom (South Korea): The Feyenoord midfielder chipped the goalkeeper with the kind of composure you don't associate with a player who also set up the winner 13 minutes later. Two contributions. One spotlight.
- Oh Hyeon-gyu (South Korea): The Besiktas striker got on the end of Hwang's cross in the 80th minute to seal a 2-1 win over Czech Republic. Seven goals in 28 internationals — not prolific, but timely.
- Ladislav Krejci (Czech Republic): Headed his side into the lead before South Korea came back. The Wolves defender turned captain in March 2026 — he'll need better protection than he got here.
- Cyle Larin (Canada): A deflected volley in the 78th minute salvaged a 1-1 draw against Bosnia. Canada created enough to win comfortably; they didn't. Larin kept them in it.
- Jovo Lukic (Bosnia & Herzegovina): Plays for U Cluj in Romania, scored his first international goal, and gave Bosnia the lead. A name nobody had on their bingo card going in.
- Gio Reyna (U.S.): Came off the bench in the 82nd minute and curled one in with the outside of his right foot in injury time. Covered his ears in celebration. Some message.
The favourites haven't played yet — or haven't clicked
Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe are the only two players in this tournament who've won the Golden Boot before. Both arrive with legitimate claims to be the best striker on the planet right now.
Kane won the Bundesliga's top scorer award this season with 36 goals — the most of any striker across Europe's top five leagues. He added 14 in the Champions League. The 32-year-old is producing the best numbers of his career at Bayern Munich, and England's route to goals runs almost entirely through him.
Mbappe scored 25 in La Liga and 15 in the Champions League for Real Madrid — 40 across 42 games. He also scored against Brazil in a March friendly to take his international tally to 56, one behind Giroud's French record of 57. He's been chasing that record all year. A World Cup on home soil — well, home continent — suits his narrative perfectly.
Erling Haaland, who took the Premier League Golden Boot with 27 goals for Manchester City this season, represents Norway's first World Cup since 1998. If he hits form, goals at a record pace become plausible — his conversion rate in tournaments has never been tested at this level, and that's the one genuine unknown in his game.
Then there's Lionel Messi. Scored seven in the 2022 World Cup as Argentina lifted the trophy. Now 38 and playing in MLS, where he's scored 12 in 14 appearances this season — still elite by that competition's standards, different question when facing World Cup defences. He won the 2025 MLS Golden Boot with 29. Whether this expanded 48-team format is the last time we see him at a World Cup, the goals could still come.
Just Fontaine's record of 13 goals — set in 1958 in a smaller, shorter tournament — has never been matched. With 40 more games than Qatar 2022, someone could mount a serious challenge if they get the right draw and the right run of form. Balogun, right now, is the early standard-bearer. Mbappe and Kane will have plenty to say about that once they get going.
Previous Golden Boot winners
- 1930: Guillermo Stabile (Argentina) — 8 goals
- 1934: Oldrich Nejedly (Czechoslovakia) — 5 goals
- 1938: Leonidas (Brazil) — 7 goals
- 1950: Ademir (Brazil) — 8 goals
- 1954: Sandor Kocsis (Hungary) — 11 goals
- 1958: Just Fontaine (France) — 13 goals
- 1962: Florian Albert, Valentin Ivanov, Garrincha, Vava, Drazan Jerkovic, Leonel Sanchez — 4 goals
- 1966: Eusebio (Portugal) — 9 goals
- 1970: Gerd Muller (West Germany) — 10 goals
- 1974: Grzegorz Lato (Poland) — 7 goals
- 1978: Mario Kempes (Argentina) — 6 goals
- 1982: Paolo Rossi (Italy) — 6 goals
- 1986: Gary Lineker (England) — 6 goals
- 1990: Salvatore Schillaci (Italy) — 6 goals
- 1994: Oleg Salenko (Russia) / Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria) — 6 goals
- 1998: Davor Suker (Croatia) — 6 goals
- 2002: Ronaldo (Brazil) — 8 goals
- 2006: Miroslav Klose (Germany) — 5 goals
- 2010: Thomas Muller (Germany) — 5 goals
- 2014: James Rodriguez (Colombia) — 6 goals
- 2018: Harry Kane (England) — 6 goals
- 2022: Kylian Mbappe (France) — 8 goals
If scores finish level, assists separate the contenders — as they did in 2010 when Muller edged Villa, Forlan and Sneijder despite all four finishing on five goals. Muller had three assists; the others had one each. Since 2006, if assists are tied too, the winner is whoever needed fewer minutes to score their goals. In a tight race, that fine print could matter enormously.
