The 2022 World Cup is being whittled down to its final—and its golden boot race is effectively down to four players.
With Argentina awaiting the winner of France and Morocco’s semifinal, the scoring chart is coming into focus. After Julián Álvarez’s double in the semifinal vs. Croatia—he became the youngest player (22 years, 316 days) since Brazilian legend Pelé in 1958 (17 years, 249 days) to achieve such a feat at the World Cup—there figures to be a four-man race for the scoring crown.
Before the second semifinal is played, PSG teammates and potential World Cup final adversaries Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé top the golden boot race with five goals apiece. On their heels are Álvarez and France forward Olivier Giroud, with four apiece. For Giroud, who became France’s all-time men’s leading goalscorer during this tournament after passing Thierry Henry, his presence on this list is impressive on a number of levels. It comes after reigning Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, who was expected to lead the line for France, was ruled out of the competition through injury. It also comes four years after Giroud went goalless in Russia, despite his role in France’s overall machine being widely praised and lauded.
The next-closest scorer whose team hasn’t been eliminated yet is Morocco’s Youssef En-Nesyri, with two. It would take a hat trick against France to pull him level atop the table—or a Morocco win to give him a shot at adding to his tally in the final.
Presuming an Argentine or French player wins it, it would end a lengthy World Cup golden boot drought for both nations. Argentina’s last winner was Mario Kempes in 1978, while France hasn’t had a winner since Just Fontaine’s dominant 13-goal showing in 1958.
The top scorers in Qatar overall are as follows:
FIVE GOALS
Lionel Messi, Argentina
Kylian Mbappe, France
FOUR GOALS
Julián Álvarez, Argentina
Olivier Giroud, France
THREE GOALS
Richarlison, Brazil
Álvaro Morata, Spain
Enner Valencia, Ecuador
Marcus Rashford, England
Bukayo Saka, England
Cody Gakpo, Netherlands
Gonçalo Ramos, Portugal
ALL-TIME GOLDEN BOOT WINNERS
1930 - Guillermo Stábile, Argentina (8)
1934 - Oldřich Nejedlý, Czechoslovakia (5)
1938 - Leônidas, Brazil (7)
1950 - Ademir, Brazil (8)
1954 - Sándor Kocsis, Hungary (11)
1958 - Just Fontaine, France (13)
1962 - Flórián Albert, Hungary; Valentin Ivanov, Soviet Union; Garrincha, Brazil; Vavá, Brazil; Dražan Jerković, Yugoslavia; Leonel Sánchez, Chile (4)
1966 - Eusébio, Portugal (9)
1970 - Gerd Müller, Germany (10)
1974 - Grzegorz Lato, Poland (7)
1978 - Mario Kempes, Argentina (6)
1982 - Paolo Rossi, Italy (6)
1986 - Gary Lineker, England (6)
1990 - Salvatore Schillaci, Italy (6)
1994 - Oleg Salenko, Russia; Hristo Stoichkov, Bulgaria (6)
1998 - Davor Šuker, Croatia (6)
2002 - Ronaldo, Brazil (8)
2006 - Miroslav Klose, Germany (5)
2010 - Thomas Müller, Germany (5)
2014 - James Rodríguez, Colombia (6)
2018 - Harry Kane, England (6)
