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
The 2026 World Cup is finally underway as all 48 teams begin to fight it out for the universally coveted trophy. While the collective prize is the main objective for all competitors, some will be hoping to make their claim as the best player of the entire tournament. But who are the top contenders and who is leading the race for the prestigious Golden Ball?
Paris Saint-Germain winger Ousmane Dembele has backed his former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi to spearhead another successful World Cup campaign for Argentina. Despite the legendary forward turning 38, the French attacker insists that Messi's unparalleled quality remains undiminished.
Tottenham-bound defender Marcos Senesi has been officially drafted into Argentina's final 26-man World Cup squad as a late replacement for the injured Leonardo Balerdi. The versatile centre-back is heading to the United States to join Lionel Messi and the rest of the squad at their base camp, marking the end of a whirlwind week for the player.
Argentina have reclaimed the number one spot in the FIFA Men’s World Rankings. The update comes at the perfect time for Lionel Scaloni’s side, with the 2026 World Cup now officially underway as Argentina seek to defend their crown.
Four nations will make debuts at the 2026 World Cup, with Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan set to grace the grandest stage in international football for the first time. It will be the tournament with the most newcomers since 2006 and all will have ambitions of ending a 16-year wait for a debutant to reach the knockout stages.
FA Illkirch Graffenstaden
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