2026 World Cup Goal Scorer Bets: Players to Watch

by Tyler Doty

image 2026 World Cup Goal Scorer Bets: Players to Watch
The World Cup kicks off in 6 days. While everyone is obviously waiting to see who will be crowned champion, another futures bet has caught the attention of many bettors: who will be the tournament’s top scorer. Here’s a look at the contenders.

Top Scorer of the 2026 World Cup: The Contenders

In addition to betting on the tournament’s eventual winner (be sure to check out our 2026 World Cup predictions), you also have the opportunity to bet on the tournament’s top scorer. Here are the potential contenders, in our opinion.

Kylian Mbappé: Right at Home at the World Cup

While he hasn’t performed well for his team since joining Real Madrid, the captain of the French national team remains a formidable finisher. Last season’s La Liga top scorer with 31 goals and winner of the European Golden Shoe, he repeated the feat 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 total to 52 goals, including his two in the Copa del Rey. Although he saw less playing time toward the end of the season in the white jersey due to some minor physical issues, 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.

While Mbappé hasn’t exactly shone in the two Euros he’s played in with Les Bleus, he’s truly come into his own during the World Cups! Eight years ago, at under 20 years old, he had already scored 4 goals in 7 matches and ended up as world champion. In 2022, he scored 8 goals, including a hat trick in the final, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer.

The French national team’s number 10 is therefore naturally the sportsbooks’ top favorite to win the Golden Boot at the 2026 World Cup, and our experts agree. He will be surrounded by players like Cherki, Olise, Dembélé, Barcola, Thuram, and Doué, and should have plenty of opportunities to put his name on the scoreboard.

Harry Kane continues his stellar season

The England international and captain has certainly racked up his fair share of goals throughout his career. He has found the back of the net countless times for England, and his move to Germany hasn’t dampened his appetite for goals. Since joining Bayern Munich, he has remained the scoring machine that makes him one of the world’s top scorers of recent years.

This season alone, he has scored 61 times for the Bavarian club across all competitions! Not to mention that he is currently the Three Lions’ all-time leading scorer with 78 goals in 112 appearances, averaging 0.70 goals per game.

Harry Kane intends to lead his team as far as possible in this World Cup and will undoubtedly be the offensive leader of his squad. As a reminder, he was already the top scorer at the 2018 World Cup with 6 goals. In our opinion, he will be Mbappé’s main rival!

Erling Haaland is 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’s already scored 38 goals for Manchester City, including 27 in the Premier League and 8 in the Champions League.

In the Norwegian national team jersey, the numbers are absolutely insane: 55 goals in 49 appearances, an average of 1.12 goals per game! An exceptional rate that very few players have achieved in the history of soccer.

During the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, he notably scored 16 goals. While there is no doubt about his individual scoring ability, it is more a matter of the team’s performance and the fact that Norway has little chance of going far in the tournament that makes Haaland not the clear favorite to finish as the top scorer of this World Cup.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for one last dance!

This is almost certainly the final 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 currently play in lesser leagues, they still shine and continue to tear apart opposing defenses. With 34 goals in 35 games during the 2025 MLS season, Messi has scored 12 goals in 14 appearances for the 2026 edition.

For his part, at over 41 years old, 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 World Cup qualifying, he found the net five times in as many matches.

While neither team is the sportsbooks’ favorite, according to our experts, they should not be underestimated, and a final upset remains possible. Especially since Argentina and Portugal are teams built to go all the way...

Sportsbooks' odds for the 2026 World Cup top scorer bet

  • Kylian Mbappe (France) +600
  • Harry Kane (England) +700
  • Erling Haaland (Norway) +1400
  • Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) +1400
  • Lionel Messi (Argentina) +1600
  • Lamine Yamal (Spain) +2000
  • Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) +2200
  • Julian Alvarez (Argentina) +3000
  • Raphinha (Brazil) +3000
  • Lautaro Martinez (Argentina) +3000
  • Vinicius Junior (Brazil) +3000