FOC Farsta Overview

The 2026 World Cup is underway and so is the race for the prestigious Golden Boot - the award given to the tournament's top scorer. There's a long road ahead as 48 nations battle for the top prize, but which star will take home the illustrious award? Here are GOAL's predicted candidates for the prize as we keep track of the tournament's most prolific stars

Rudi Garcia launched a strong defence of Belgium's experienced stars after their emphatic victory secured top spot in their World Cup group. The boss said criticism of Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Leandro Trossard before the tournament was unfair, insisting the trio proved their quality on the pitch.

As it turns out, Belgium might just be alright. Talk of a golden generation is long over and, to be fair, their first two World Cup results only furthered the idea that the Red Devils' time has passed. If Friday's group stage finale against New Zealand is any indication, though, Belgium's old guard might just have one last run at all of this.

Kevin De Bruyne has issued a stark warning to his Belgium team-mates, admitting the squad has failed to meet expectations during a stuttering World Cup campaign. The Red Devils face the very real prospect of a group-stage exit after failing to win either of their opening two fixtures in North America.