Top scorer at the 2026 World Cup: players to watch for your bets
by Cydias Aujard | by Cydias Aujard
Top Scorer of the 2026 World Cup: The Contenders
In addition to betting on the future winner of the tournament (feel free to check out our 2026 World Cup predictions), you also have the opportunity to bet on the future top scorer of the World Cup. Here are the potential contenders, in our opinion.
Kylian Mbappé in his element at the World Cup
Although he didn’t exactly shine last night against Ivory Coast in Nantes (45 minutes of play, just one shot), Kylian Mbappé remains a formidable finisher to watch for the 2026 World Cup.
Last season’s La Liga top scorer with 31 goals and winner of the European Golden Shoe, the captain of the French national team has repeated his success this year with 25 goals in the Spanish league.
He even finished as the top scorer in the Champions League with 15 goals in total, bringing his tally to 52 goals including his two goals in the Copa del Rey. Although he saw less playing time toward the end of the season with Real Madrid due to a few minor injuries, he was able to get some rest and will arrive in top form for the World Cup.
Kylian Mbappé finished as the top scorer at the last World Cup with 8 goals.
Whilst Mbappé hasn’t exactly shone in the two European Championships he’s played in with Les Bleus, he has, on the other hand, truly come into his own at the World Cups! Eight years ago, at under 20 years of age, he had already scored four goals in seven matches and ended up as world champion. In 2022, he scored eight goals, including a hat-trick in the final, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer.
The France team’s number 10 is therefore naturally the bookmakers’ hot favourite to be the top scorer at this 2026 World Cup, and our experts agree. He will be surrounded by players such as Cherki, Olise, Dembélé, Barcola, Thuram and Doué, and should have plenty of opportunities to put his name on the scoresheet.
Harry Kane building on his season
The England international and captain has scored plenty of goals in his career. He has found the net on numerous occasions for England, and his move to Germany has done nothing to dampen his appetite for goals. Since arriving at Bayern Munich, he has remained the goal-scoring machine that makes him one of the world’s best strikers of recent years.
This season, he has still managed to score 61 times for the Bavarian club across all competitions! Not to mention that he is currently the Three Lions’ all-time leading goalscorer with 78 goals in 112 appearances, an average of 0.70 goals per game.
Harry Kane is determined to take his team as far as possible in this World Cup and will undoubtedly be the attacking leader of his side. As a reminder, he was already the top scorer at the 2018 World Cup with six goals. In our view, he will be Mbappé’s main rival!
Erling Haaland ready for his first major tournament
He needs no introduction... The ‘Norwegian Cyborg’ is a true goal-scoring machine and keeps breaking records. This season, he has scored another 38 goals for Manchester City, including 27 in the Premier League and 8 in the Champions League.
In the Norwegian shirt, the figures are absolutely staggering: 55 goals in 49 caps, an average of 1.12 goals per game! An exceptional rate that very few players have achieved in the history of football.
During the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, he notably netted 16 goals. Whilst there is no doubt about his individual ability to score, it is more a question of the team’s performance and the fact that Norway are unlikely to go far in the competition that means Haaland is not the clear favourite to finish as top scorer at this World Cup.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for one last dance!
It is 99.9% certain that this will be the last World Cup for these two legends of the sport. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are determined to be there for “The Last Dance” with Argentina and Portugal.
Although they are currently playing in lesser leagues, they are still shining and continue to cause havoc for opposing defences. Having scored 34 goals in 35 matches during the 2025 MLS season, La Pulga has netted 12 goals in 14 appearances for the 2026 campaign.
For his part, at over 41 years of age, the Manchester United and Real Madrid legend remains a formidable finisher: he has scored 28 goals in 30 Saudi Pro League matches this season. During the World Cup qualifiers, he found the net five times in as many matches.
Although neither are bookmakers’ favourites and according to our experts, they should not be underestimated and a final-stage feat remains possible. All the more so as Argentina and Portugal are teams built to go all the way.
Bookmakers’ odds for the 2026 World Cup top scorer bet
- Kylian Mbappé - 6.00
- Harry Kane - 8.00
- Lionel Messi - 13.00
- Erling Haaland - 15.00
- Cristiano Ronaldo - 20.00
- Lamine Yamal - 20.00
- Mikel Oyarzabal - 20.00
- Lautaro Martinez - 25.00
- Michael Olise - 25.00
- Ousmane Dembélé - 25.00
- Vinicius Jr - 25.00
