The 2026 World Cup is in its final stages and so is the race for the prestigious Golden Boot - the award given to the tournament's top scorer. With only three of the original 48 nations left in the tournament, which star will take home the illustrious award? Here, GOAL tracks the tournament's most prolific stars.
Aston Villa have been credited with interest in Folarin Balogun, but Stan Collymore has told GOAL why Unai Emery is likely to favour another 2026 World Cup star over a United States international that made plenty of headlines at FIFA’s flagship event. The Villans are looking to bolster their ranks from back to front during the summer, with comings and goings being mooted.
Brazil have been rocked by the news that Lucas Paqueta could miss the remainder of their 2026 World Cup campaign after an injury diagnosis was confirmed following the victory over Japan. The Flamengo midfielder, who has been a mainstay in Carlo Ancelotti’s side throughout the tournament, is now facing a race against time to feature again for the Selecao.
Endrick has expressed his delight after helping Brazil reach the World Cup round of 16. Following early tournament frustration and viral memes about his lack of minutes, the forward thanked manager Carlo Ancelotti for his trust against Japan. After a successful loan at Lyon, Endrick is now eagerly anticipating a return to Real Madrid to start a fresh chapter.
Matheus Cunha hit back at Japan forward Kento Shiogai after Brazil's dramatic World Cup round of 32 victory. Shiogai had questioned Brazil's status among football's elite before kick-off, but Cunha responded after the final whistle by reminding him of the Selecao's unmatched World Cup record.
Neymar took aim at German economist Joachim Klement after Brazil beat Japan 2-1 to reach the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. Klement's prediction model had tipped Japan to produce a shock victory, but the Brazil forward wasted little time reminding him of the outcome with a playful post on social media.
Ginglin Cesson Saint Brieuc
