The Golden Boot goes to the top scorer at each FIFA World Cup. From Guillermo Stábile in 1930 to Kylian Mbappé in 2026, this list shows every World Cup top scorer, how many goals they scored and the records behind the award.
World Cup Golden Boot Winners: Full List (1930–2026)
| Year | Host | Top scorer(s) | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Uruguay | Guillermo Stábile (Argentina) | 8 |
| 1934 | Italy | Oldřich Nejedlý (Czechoslovakia) | 5 |
| 1938 | France | Leônidas (Brazil) | 7 |
| 1950 | Brazil | Ademir (Brazil) | 8 |
| 1954 | Switzerland | Sándor Kocsis (Hungary) | 11 |
| 1958 | Sweden | Just Fontaine (France) | 13 |
| 1962 | Chile | Garrincha, Vavá (Brazil), Leonel Sánchez (Chile), Flórián Albert (Hungary), Valentin Ivanov (Soviet Union), Dražan Jerković (Yugoslavia) | 4 |
| 1966 | England | Eusébio (Portugal) | 9 |
| 1970 | Mexico | Gerd Müller (West Germany) | 10 |
| 1974 | West Germany | Grzegorz Lato (Poland) | 7 |
| 1978 | Argentina | Mario Kempes (Argentina) | 6 |
| 1982 | Spain | Paolo Rossi (Italy) | 6 |
| 1986 | Mexico | Gary Lineker (England) | 6 |
| 1990 | Italy | Salvatore Schillaci (Italy) | 6 |
| 1994 | USA | Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria), Oleg Salenko (Russia) | 6 |
| 1998 | France | Davor Šuker (Croatia) | 6 |
| 2002 | South Korea/Japan | Ronaldo (Brazil) | 8 |
| 2006 | Germany | Miroslav Klose (Germany) | 5 |
| 2010 | South Africa | Thomas Müller (Germany) | 5 |
| 2014 | Brazil | James Rodríguez (Colombia) | 6 |
| 2018 | Russia | Harry Kane (England) | 6 |
| 2022 | Qatar | Kylian Mbappé (France) | 8 |
| 2026 | USA/Canada/Mexico | Kylian Mbappé (France) | 10 |
FIFA first presented an official award for the top scorer, then called the Golden Shoe, in 1982. It was renamed the Golden Boot in 2010. For earlier tournaments, the list shows the leading scorer as recognised by FIFA.
Kylian Mbappé: The First Back-to-Back Winner
Kylian Mbappé won the Golden Boot in 2022 with 8 goals, including a hat-trick in the final against Argentina. At the 2026 World Cup he scored 10 goals to win it again, with Lionel Messi second on 8. That made Mbappé the first player to win the World Cup top scorer award twice, and took him past Messi and Miroslav Klose at the top of the World Cup all-time top scorers list.
Mbappé’s France did not win the trophy in 2026. Spain beat Argentina 1–0 after extra time in the final. You can read the full story in our 2026 World Cup winner article.
Golden Boot Records
- Most goals at one World Cup: Just Fontaine, 13 goals for France in 1958. No one has come close since.
- Most Golden Boot wins: Kylian Mbappé, 2 (2022 and 2026).
- Most shared award: 1962, when six players tied on 4 goals.
- Fewest goals to top the list: 4 goals in 1962, and 5 goals in 1934, 2006 and 2010.
- Country with the most top scorers: Brazil, with Leônidas, Ademir, Garrincha, Vavá and Ronaldo.
How the Golden Boot Tiebreak Works
When two or more players finish with the same number of goals, FIFA now uses tiebreakers instead of sharing the award:
- Most goals scored
- Most assists
- Fewest minutes played
That is why Thomas Müller won in 2010. He, David Villa, Wesley Sneijder and Diego Forlán all scored 5 goals, but Müller had the most assists. Before tiebreakers were used, the award was shared, as in 1962 and 1994.
Notable Golden Boot Winners
Just Fontaine (1958)
Fontaine scored 13 goals in six matches at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, the highest total ever at a single tournament. He never played at another World Cup.
Gerd Müller (1970)
Müller scored 10 goals in Mexico, including back-to-back hat-tricks, and went on to win the World Cup with West Germany in 1974.
Ronaldo (2002)
Brazil’s Ronaldo scored 8 goals, including both goals in the final against Germany, to win the Golden Boot and the trophy in the same tournament.
Harry Kane (2018)
Kane scored 6 goals in Russia, three of them penalties, as England reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1990.
Did the Golden Boot Winner’s Team Win the World Cup?
Only a few top scorers have also lifted the trophy, including Mario Kempes (1978), Paolo Rossi (1982) and Ronaldo (2002). Most winners, from Fontaine to Mbappé in 2026, finished without the trophy. See every champion in our FIFA World Cup winners list.
Golden Boot FAQs
Who won the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot?
Kylian Mbappé of France won the 2026 Golden Boot with 10 goals.
Who has the most goals at a single World Cup?
Just Fontaine of France, with 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup.
Has anyone won the Golden Boot twice?
Yes. Kylian Mbappé won it in 2022 and 2026, the first player to do so.
Did Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo win the Golden Boot?
No. Lionel Messi finished second to Mbappé in 2026 with 8 goals, and Cristiano Ronaldo has never been the top scorer at a World Cup.
