We are now approaching the end of the World Cup in Qatar and will see on Sunday’s final game how the current world champions France battle out against Argentina for the most coveted trophy.
World Cup matches have already produced a wide selection of intriguing clashes, and the competitive stage is set for a number of elite players to write their names into the history books. Today, we want to take a closer look at the top attacking footballers in the Qatar 2024 championship to see who has the best chance to lift this year’s Golden Boot.
What is the Golden Boot in the World Cup?
First introduced in 1982, the Golden Boot (formerly Golden Shoe) is one of the most prestigious individual awards in world soccer. The prize is given to the footballer who scored the most goals over the course of the entire tournament. If there are two or more players with an equal amount of goals scored, the final decision is made by assists, and if those too are the same, by the lowest minutes played.
Past Golden Boot Winners
Starting from the late 1990s, the world football championship has been the stage for some of the best forwards in the globe and a number of the most distinguished names have had the title of being the tournament’s Golden Boot champions. Among them are Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, Gary Lineker, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Josef Klose.
Current Golden Boot Contenders
As the years go on, there are some familiar faces that come back again and again as some of the top players on the planet. However, that’s not always the case!
As for this year’s competition, some of the top frontrunners are different, and they include Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, Olivier Giroud, Neymar da Silva Santos, and Lionel Messi, among others. While it can be pretty difficult to predict who will grab the Golden Boot in 2024, one thing is for sure, it will be someone new this time around.
Who is Leading the Race in 2024?
French frontrunner Kylian Mbappe and Argentina star Lio Messi are both locked in the race to finish as the Top Scorer for the ongoing World Cup with five goals each. The GGBET betting platform, however, puts Lionel Messi as a slight favorite at -110 chance of winning.
In fact, both players have recorded an impressive record of five goals in six games. But it is worth noting that Messi narrowly missed out on the Golden Boot in 2014 after scoring four goals in six appearances, and he will be trying to add to his record with an amazing performance against France in the Sunday’s Final. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen what will happen in this game.
Who are the Other Golden Boot Challengers?
While Messi and Mbappe are the great favorites for taking home the iconic Top Scorer prize, we simply can’t rule out two more fellow finalists Olivier Giroud and Julián Álvarez, who are on four goals record so far. With two more candidates left to decide, you will need to keep your eye out to see the final of World Cup 2024.
Olivier Giroud
Kylian’s international teammate Oliver Giroud is also in contention to win the Top Scorer prize. The former Arsenal striker has recorded an impressive four goals from five appearances in the championship. Jonathan has also passed Thierry Henry as the all-time leading scorer for France’s side, after scoring against Poland and keeper Tomasz Szczęsny in the quarter-final.
Julián Álvarez
Lionel’s international teammate Julian Alvarez has also staked a late claim for the Top Scorer award. The Man City starter failed to score in any of the opening two matches for his country but has managed to change the situation in the knockout stages. The 22-year-old has found himself with a golden opportunity due to four goals from six appearances, including a double in the closing minutes of the semi-final match against Croatia.
Finally, we also want to highlight the appearance among the top ten goalscorers at the WC 2024 of Goncalo Ramos, Alvar Morata, Marcus Rashford, Enner Valencia, Bukayo Saka, Richarlison, and Cody Gakpo. All these frontrunners have recorded an amazing three goals in five games of Qatar’s championship.
