Top 10 Players Who Could Win The 2018 World Cup Golden Boot

Every four years one of the world’s greatest players comes forward, takes a tournament by the scruff of the neck and does more than his fair share in trying to win it for his side.

Some of the biggest names the sport has ever seen have won the Golden Boot at a World Cup and here are 10 players that could do it this summer in Russia.

10. Thomas Muller

A man who scored five Bundesliga goals last season and has done the same so far this season does not seem like someone you should be backing for the World Cup Golden Boot. But Thomas Muller is a unique case.

The German has 10 goals in just 13 World Cup appearances, he is already one of the greatest goal scorers the competition has ever seen and he could be right at the top of the list by the end of the summer.

His form for Bayern means that he is not one of the favourites in this market, but you would be very foolish to rule out a man who has performed so consistently on the big stage.

9. Kylian Mbappe

This is a bit of a punt seen as the man has just one international goal to his name, but the World Cup often sees youngsters coming through to grab the headlines and Kylian Mbappe could do that this year.

The PSG man has been impressive since his move from Monaco, he does not have much international experience, but has been excellent in the Champions League, which is the next step down.

Mbappe has Australia, Peru and Denmark to get his teeth into in the group stage and if he can get a good start could go on a real roll with a French team which are real dark horses for the competition.

8. Cristiano Ronaldo

You can never rule out Ronaldo, especially when it comes to claiming some personal glory, but he has never really been a man for the World Cup.

The Real Madrid hero has played in three World Cups before and has managed just one goal in each so far. He was inspirational in leading Portugal to their Euro 2016 triumph, but he has never quite shone on the global international stage.

Portugal are not expected to go far in this one, and this could really hold back their talisman. They do have group stage matches against Morocco and Iran, which could give Ronaldo a chance, but he looks a ropey bet at 14/1.

7. Harry Kane

It is a genuine possibility that an Englishman could be the top scorer in this World Cup with Harry Kane proving once again this season, he is one of the very best strikers on the planet.

The Spurs man is currently the top scorer in the Premier League, with 24 goals in 37 games, making it four straight seasons he has managed over 20 league goals in a campaign. He is undoubtedly up there with the elite.

England are very unlikely to reach the final four of the tournament, which will hold him back, but if he goes big against the likes of Panama and Tunisia in the group stage, he will be right in the mix.

6. Sergio Aguero

This seems an awfully long price for a man who has been consistently one of the very best strikers in the world for many, many years.

The Argentinian has scored 20+ goals in each of the last four Premier League seasons and has been a reliable finder of the back of the net for 10 years, since he first burst onto the scene as a teenager at Atletico Madrid.

He has a very decent 36 goals in 84 games for his country, but has never scored at a World Cup. This is holding him back in the odds, but if he can remedy this early then he can compete with anyone when it comes to scoring huge numbers of goals.

5. Edinson Cavani

The bookies seem to have been pretty generous on the Uruguayans in this tournament and there are two of them that could prove to be fantastic bets in this market.

Edinson Cavani has been a consistently excellent goal scorer for the best part of a decade now. Scoring, averaging better than a goal every other league game for eight straight seasons. He has also notched 40 in 98 games for his country.

At the end of February he has 24 Ligue 1 goals in 25 games for PSG so will be heading into his third World Cup in fine fettle, and ready to build on his two goals in the tournament before.

4. Luis Suarez

An even more appealing bet could be Cavani’s countryman Luis Suarez, who looks criminally undervalued at 30/1 to pinch the Golden Boot.

The Barcelona striker is, once again, in prolific form for the Catalans and he has five goals at World Cups in the past, so he knows exactly what he is doing on the biggest stage in the game.

What should also be noted about Uruguay is that they have a very easy group, featuring the host nation Russia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. They are certain to qualify from that rabble and they could stick quite a few past their opponents in the process.

Suarez could easily be on four goals coming out of the group stage which would put him in a great place to finish as top scorer come the lifting of the trophy.

3. Lionel Messi

The favourite to be the top scorer in Russia, the current holder of the World Cup Golden Ball and most people’s choice for best player on the planet, Lionel Messi is a compelling pick for Golden Boot this summer.

The Argentinian seems to have been around forever but he is only 30-years-old and is still, without doubt, in his prime. He scored 37 La Liga goals last season and, at the time of writing, has 22 in 25 league games this season.

He scored four times in the 2014 tournament and it would take a brave punter to back against him failing to match that this time around. The only thing holding him back might be his teammates, who really laboured through qualification for this competition.

2. Neymar

The Brazilian superstar may have just broken his ankle but he will be back and ready for the World Cup in the summer, where he will hope to shine in front of the world.

Neymar had notched four goals in the 2014 event before injury ruled him out of the semi-final clash with Germany – could that fateful night have been very different? Maybe.

He’s only 26-years-old and is fourth on the all-time scorers list for Brazil with 53 in 83 games. His move to PSG has been fruitful (not just for his bank balance) as he has 19 goals in 20 Ligue 1 games.

As long as his injury heals in time, Neymar will be in the goals in Russia.

1. Antoine Griezemann

If you want to back a Frenchman, the more sensible bet might be their leading light, Antoine Griezemann who currently has the unusual price of 17/1.

This is going to be Griezemann’s first World Cup but he has shown he has got what it takes in international tournaments when he finished top scorer at Euro 2016 with six goals.

At 26-years-old he should be at his absolute peak and has been a consistent threat for Atletico Madrid for three-and-a-half years now. He could sneak up quietly in this market, but prove to be a very shrewd bet.