Explore the complete list of FIFA World Cup top goal scorers and Golden Boot winners from 1930 to 2026, with year-wise leaders and all-time records. You can quickly see who scored the most goals in each tournament, including Kylian Mbappé, who won the award in 2022 with 8 goals.
The race for the Golden Boot at the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar concluded with Kylian Mbappé finishing as the top scorer with 8 goals. Lionel Messi followed closely with 7 goals, while Julián Álvarez and Olivier Giroud shared third place with 4 goals each. The tournament delivered an intense battle among the world’s best footballers for the prestigious Golden Boot award, given to the highest goal scorer in the competition.
The tournament began with Ecuador’s Enner Valencia setting the tone by scoring twice in the opening match against Qatar. As the competition progressed, several top players emerged as strong contenders, making the Golden Boot race one of the most exciting storylines of the tournament.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal also made history during the 2022 FIFA World Cup by becoming the first player to score in five different World Cups (2006–2022). He scored his only goal of the tournament from a penalty against Ghana. Over his World Cup career, Ronaldo has scored a total of 8 goals.
The Top Three Players in the Golden Boot Race (2022)
1. Kylian Mbappé (France) – 8 Goals
Kylian Mbappé was the standout performer of the tournament and won the Golden Boot with 8 goals. He scored twice against Australia, netted a brace against Denmark, and delivered another two goals in the Round of 16 against Poland. Mbappé also scored a historic hat-trick in the final against Argentina, becoming only the second player ever to do so in a World Cup final.
2. Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 7 Goals
Lionel Messi played a crucial role in Argentina’s World Cup-winning campaign. He scored in multiple matches, including key goals against Mexico, Australia, the Netherlands, Croatia, and France in the final. Messi’s leadership and consistency helped Argentina secure the title, while he finished second in the Golden Boot race.
3. Olivier Giroud (France) – 4 Goals
Olivier Giroud was instrumental in France’s journey to the final. He scored twice against Australia and added important goals against Poland and England. During the tournament, Giroud also became France’s all-time leading goal scorer.
Other notable players in the Golden Boot race included Julián Álvarez of Argentina, who also scored 4 goals. The complete list of top scorers and their goal tallies is provided in the table below.
FIFA World Cup Top Goalscorers & Golden Boot Winners (1930-2026)
| World Cup | Top Scorer / Golden Boot | Goals | Second Highest | Goals | Third Highest | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 USA/Canada/Mexico | TBD | - | TBD | - | TBD | - |
| 2022 Qatar | Kylian Mbappé | 8 | Lionel Messi | 7 | Julián Álvarez, Olivier Giroud | 4 |
| 2018 Russia | Harry Kane | 6 | Antoine Griezmann | 4 | Romelu Lukaku | 4 |
| 2014 Brazil | James Rodríguez | 6 | Thomas Müller | 5 | Neymar | 4 |
| 2010 South Africa | Thomas Müller | 5 | David Villa | 5 | Wesley Sneijder | 5 |
| 2006 Germany | Miroslav Klose | 5 | Hernán Crespo | 5 | Ronaldo | 3 |
| 2002 South Korea/Japan | Ronaldo | 8 | Miroslav Klose, Rivaldo | 5 | - | - |
| 1998 France | Davor Šuker | 6 | Gabriel Batistuta, Christian Vieri | 5 | - | - |
| 1994 USA | Oleg Salenko, Hristo Stoichkov | 6 | - | - | Kennet Andersson, Romário | 5 |
| 1990 Italy | Salvatore Schillaci | 6 | Tomáš Skuhravý | 5 | Roger Milla, Gary Lineker | 4 |
| 1986 Mexico | Gary Lineker | 6 | Emilio Butragueño, Careca, Diego Maradona | 5 | - | - |
| 1982 Spain | Paolo Rossi | 6 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | 5 | Zico | 4 |
| 1978 Argentina | Mario Kempes | 6 | Teófilo Cubillas | 5 | Rob Rensenbrink | 5 |
| 1974 West Germany | Grzegorz Lato | 7 | Andrzej Szarmach, Johan Neeskens | 5 | - | - |
| 1970 Mexico | Gerd Müller | 10 | Jairzinho | 7 | Teófilo Cubillas | 5 |
| 1966 England | Eusébio | 9 | Helmut Haller | 6 | Geoff Hurst, Franz Beckenbauer | 4 |
| 1962 Chile | Flórián Albert, Valentin Ivanov, Garrincha, Vavá, Dražan Jerković, Leonel Sánchez | 4 | - | - | - | - |
| 1958 Sweden | Just Fontaine | 13 | Pelé, Helmut Rahn | 6 | - | - |
| 1954 Switzerland | Sándor Kocsis | 11 | Josef Hügi | 6 | - | - |
| 1950 Brazil | Ademir | 9 | Óscar Míguez | 5 | Telmo Zarra | 4 |
| 1938 France | Leônidas | 7 | György Sárosi | 5 | - | - |
| 1934 Italy | Oldřich Nejedlý | 5 | Angelo Schiavio | 4 | - | - |
| 1930 Uruguay | Guillermo Stábile | 8 | Pedro Cea | 5 | Bert Patenaude | 4 |
The FIFA World Cup 2022 Golden Boot was won by Kylian Mbappé of France with 8 goals. Lionel Messi of Argentina finished second with 7 goals, while Julián Álvarez (Argentina) and Olivier Giroud (France) shared third place with 4 goals each.
This was one of the closest Golden Boot races in World Cup history, with Mbappé sealing the award after scoring a hat-trick in the final. Messi played a key role in Argentina’s title-winning campaign and finished just one goal behind.
FIFA World Cup Golden Boot Winners FAQ
Kylian Mbappé of France won the Golden Boot in 2022 with 8 goals. He finished ahead of Lionel Messi, who scored 7 goals in the tournament.
The Golden Boot is given to the player who scores the most goals in a FIFA World Cup tournament. It is one of the most prestigious individual awards in football.
Just Fontaine holds the record for the most goals in a single World Cup. He scored 13 goals for France in the 1958 tournament, a record that still stands today.
Miroslav Klose of Germany is the all-time top scorer in FIFA World Cup history with 16 goals, scored across four tournaments.
If two or more players score the same number of goals, assists are used as the first tiebreaker. If still tied, the player who played fewer minutes ranks higher.
Yes, the Golden Boot will be awarded in the 2026 FIFA World Cup as well. The tournament will be hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico, and the top goal scorer will receive the award.