Messi Or Mbappe? Who Will Be The Fifa World Cup Top Scorer?

2026-06-05 04:24:14

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) While great defenders and goalkeepers are the cornerstone of a successful football team, it's the strikers who inevitably steal the limelight.

Football lovers still fondly remember Paolo Rossi for his six goals in the 1982 World Cup, including a stunning hat trick against Brazil, which helped Italy end their 44-year wait for their third title on the big stage.

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But the Italian backline, led by Gaetano Scirea, also performed their defensive role admirably in Spain.

Now more than forty years have passed, yet the football community still celebrates Rossi's heroics at the 1982 World Cup.

Don't expect the script to change now as fans wait for the start of the 2026 Fifa World Cup in North America.

Goalies will keep making big saves and defenders will keep putting their bodies on the line, but it's the attacking players who will steal the spotlight every time they find the back of the net.

So who will emerge as the top-scorer of the 2026 Fifa World Cup (June-11-July 19) in North America?

While there is a dearth of absolute monsters such as Ronaldo (the Brazilian one), Romario and Gabriel Batistuta in football today, there are still some very special players who could turn a game in the blink of an eye.

So here is a list of our top five players with the potential to win the Golden Boot, the award given to the top-scorer of the tournament.

FIVE: Julian Alvarez (Argentina)

A versatile player capable of scoring big goals and building up play on the edge of the box, Atletico Madrid's Argentine striker will hope to leave his mark on the World Cup again. Alvarez was only 22 when he became one of Argentina's unlikely heroes at the Qatar World Cup, with his work-rate and finishing skills playing a big role in the team's unforgettable triumph. The 26-year-old was far from his best in La Liga last season, scoring just eight goals in 29 games. But his quality is such that some of the biggest clubs in Europe, including Barcelona, are bidding for his signature as he is looking to leave Atletico Madrid following the World Cup. Alvarez also finds his best expression as a footballer in the national team system. He is head coach Lionel Scaloni's trusted man to lead the attack ahead of Inter Milan star Lautaro Martinez, and his link-up play with Lionel Messi can be breathtaking when Argentina launches attacks. It's an alluring prospect for the millions of Argentina fans across the world.

FOUR: Erling Haaland (Norway)

The Norwegian goal-scoring machine is all set for his Fifa World Cup debut. Having returned to the World Cup for the first time since their third appearance in 1998, Norway will pin their hopes on Haaland. The Manchester City superstar was not even born when Norway famously beat the star-studded Brazil in the group stage of the 1998 World Cup in France. Norway reached the second round in 1998 when they lost to Italy 1-0. Now with Haaland as the star man, Norway will fancy their chances of reaching the knockout stages again. Placed in Group I with France, Senegal and Iraq, Norway will bank on Haaland's goals for a ticket to the next round. With 27 goals in the Premier League, Haaland had another prolific season for Manchester City. Norwegian fans will hope that the giant striker will carry the Premier League momentum into the World Cup. The well-oiled Norway team, with Arsenal star Martin Ødegaard pulling the strings in the midfield, is capable of providing Haaland with scoring opportunities in every match. And he rarely fails to pounce on them.

THREE: Lionel Messi (Argentina)

On 13 goals from five World Cups, Lionel Messi has a chance to break Miroslav Klose's all-time record of 16 goals in the tournament. Having finally lifted the World Cup trophy on his fifth attempt in 2022, no one would have cribbed if Messi had walked into the sunset. But the little magician's beautiful affection with the ball meant he could not bear the separation from a football field. Now plying his trade in the MLS (Major League Soccer), the Inter Miami striker is still producing moments of magic. Each performance is like an act of rebellion against his age - 38. The Argentina talisman will turn 39 in the middle of the tournament, but that's unlikely to be an obstacle for him. With 12 goals, Messi is among the highest scorers this season in the MLS, which has been paused for the World Cup. The quality of MLS defenders is nowhere near the level of the world-class players he conquered at his peak in Europe. But Messi remains Messi, the dazzling winger-striker-playmaker and no one can ever write this bewitching talent off.

TWO: Harry Kane (England)

After spending several years scoring a truckload of goals but without ever coming close to winning a trophy at Tottenham Hotspur, Harry Kane has won four trophies, including two Bundesliga titles, since his move to Bayern Munich in 2023. While the 32-year-old is now among the most decorated English footballers of his generation, he remains one of the most prolific England strikers of all time. Since his move to Germany, Kane has scored a staggering 98 goals in 94 matches. His goals per game ratio is the best in the history of the German league, surpassing the likes of Germany icon Gerd Muller and Polish star Robert Lewandowski. While Muller famously replicated his Bundesliga form on the World Cup stage, scoring 14 goals in two World Cups, Kane failed to lift England at the 2022 Qatar Cup, missing a crucial penalty against France in the quarterfinals. But he was the top-scorer in the 2018 World Cup in Russia with six goals. Desperate to end their 60-year wait for the World Cup title, England need Kane to provide goals and inspiration.

ONE: Kylian Mbappe (France)

Mbappe holds the record for being the only teenager since Pele to play a match-winning role in a World Cup final when he inspired France to a 4-2 win against Croatia in the 2018 World Cup title decider. Mbappe was magical four years later in Qatar. He lifted a listless France in the 2022 title decider with one of the greatest individual performances of all time. Completely outplayed by Argentina, which took a 2-0 first-half lead at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, France were chasing shadows until the 79th minute when Mbappe brought the Les Bleus into the contest by scoring from the penalty spot. Less than two minutes later, his thunderous right-footer beat Emiliano Martinez for France's equaliser before he completed a hat trick in extra time, taking the match to penalties. Argentina won, and every neutral fan that night wept for Mbappe. But the French superstar ended the tournament as the highest scorer with eight goals. Now at 27, it's impossible to look beyond the Real Madrid striker while analysing contenders for the Golden Ball in the 2026 edition of the tournament. Mbappe endured a torrid season with Real Madrid, where the dressing room was divided by ego clashes. But what has remained constant is Mbappe's prolific form in front of the goal. Having scored 25 goals in La Liga, he will fancy his chances again to grab goals and keep his hopes alive of joining a select group of players to win two World Cups.