The race for the Golden Boot is heating up as the World Cup heads into the knockout stages, and football fans could be about to witness history.
France’s Kylian Mbappé (3.75) arrives in the last 32 looking to achieve something no player has ever managed before: winning the World Cup Golden Boot twice.
Standing in his way is a familiar rival. Lionel Messi (1.90) currently tops the goalscoring charts and, according to the latest Coolbet odds, is the favourite to finish as the tournament’s leading scorer.
With the biggest matches of the tournament still to come, every goal could prove decisive.
Mbappé Chasing Football History
Mbappé claimed the Golden Boot at Qatar 2022 after scoring eight goals, becoming only the second Frenchman to win the award after Just Fontaine’s legendary 13-goal haul in 1958.
Now, the French superstar has the chance to make World Cup history.
No player has ever won the World Cup Golden Boot on two occasions. Some of football’s greatest goalscorers—including Ronaldo, Gary Lineker, Davor Šuker, Miroslav Klose and Thomas Müller—have all lifted the award once, but none managed to repeat the feat.
Mbappé’s pace, movement and clinical finishing make him one of the most feared forwards in world football. With France among the favourites to lift the World Cup, the 27-year-old should have plenty of opportunities to add to his tally during the knockout rounds.
Messi Chasing The One Prize Missing From His Collection
If Mbappé is chasing history, Lionel Messi (1.90) is pursuing one of the few individual honours that has somehow eluded him throughout his remarkable career.
Despite winning the World Cup Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player in both 2014 and 2022, Messi has never finished as the competition’s top goalscorer.
That could finally change this summer. The Argentine captain leads the scoring charts heading into the knockout stage and is the clear favourite in the latest Coolbet Golden Boot market. Should Argentina make another deep run, Messi will likely remain the man everyone else is trying to catch.
The Main Challengers
Behind Messi and Mbappé sits an impressive chasing pack.
Ousmane Dembélé (14.00) has enjoyed an excellent tournament and has quietly emerged as one of France’s biggest attacking threats. If Les Bleus reach the latter stages, he could easily close the gap on the leaders.
Harry Kane (15.00) has yet to produce the explosive scoring run many expected, but England’s captain has repeatedly shown his ability to deliver on the biggest stage. If the Three Lions progress, he remains firmly in contention.
Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior (15.00) has also impressed during the group stage. Blessed with blistering pace and playing in one of the tournament’s strongest attacking teams, he cannot be overlooked.
Norway’s Erling Braut Haaland (20.00) has once again demonstrated why he is one of football’s deadliest finishers. The Manchester City striker already has four goals to his name, although Norway will likely need a deep knockout run if he is to overhaul Messi.
Further down the market, Cristiano Ronaldo (31.00) and Mikel Oyarzabal (31.00) remain outside contenders, while Matheus Cunha (41.00) and Lamine Yamal (65.00) would require a remarkable knockout campaign to force themselves into the conversation.
Knockout Football Changes Everything
Golden Boot races are rarely decided during the group stage. Players whose teams are eliminated early simply run out of opportunities, while those who reach the semi-finals and final can play up to four additional matches.
That is why France and Argentina continue to dominate both the outright World Cup winner market and the Golden Boot betting. Progress deep into the tournament usually brings more chances, more goals and, ultimately, a greater opportunity to claim football’s most prestigious individual scoring prize.
Oddsfactory Prediction
Messi deserves to be favourite based on his performances so far, but the value may lie elsewhere. France possess one of the deepest squads in the tournament, and if Didier Deschamps’ side reach another World Cup final, Mbappé is likely to be at the heart of everything they achieve.
Winning a second consecutive Golden Boot would rewrite the history books. If anyone has the talent to do exactly that, it is Kylian Mbappé.
Oddsfactory Golden Boot Prediction
Winner: Kylian Mbappé (3.75)
Runner-up: Lionel Messi (1.90)
Dark Horse: Vinícius Júnior (15.00)