-
Germany has had the most Men’s FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winners with five
-
Harry Kane won the 2018 Golden Boot with six goals
-
Read below for the complete list of FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winners
The World Cup is the biggest event on the calendar for those who bet on football.
It’s a chance for players to become heroes (or, in some cases, villains). Legacies can be made. Reputations can be built or destroyed.
For FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winners, the World Cup has provided success and your own section in the history books.
We’re running through every Men’s World Cup Golden Boot winner.
1930 – Guillermo Stabile, 8
Only 13 teams competed in the inaugural World Cup in 1930. Argentina were runners up to Uruguay, yet Argentine striker Guillermo Stábile secured the Golden Boot with eight goals in four matches.
Starting off with a hat-trick on debut, Stábile scored a brace in the next two matches before finding the net in Argentina’s final defeat.
1934 – Oldrich Nejedly, 5
Scorer of 29 goals in total for Czechoslovakia, Oldřich Nejedlý netted five times at the 1934 World Cup as his team finished runners up to Italy.
It took over 70 years for Nejedlý to be recognised as the tournament’s top scorer, however, as he was initially credited with just four goals. He also won the Bronze Ball behind Giuseppe Meazza and Matthias Sindelar.
1938 – Leonidas, 7
With three goals to his name after the first round, Leonidas was well on course for the 1938 Golden Boot. He scored a couple more in the last eight before a brace in the third place playoff.
Of course, the Second World War ensured it was the last World Cup for 12 years.
1950 – Ademir, 8
The second Brazilian to win the award, Ademir found the net eight times at the 1950 World Cup, including two in the opening match.
He had another against Yugoslavia before four against Sweden and one against Spain in the final round.
1954 – Sandor Kocsis, 11
Back when Hungary were at the forefront of World Cup odds, Sandor Kocsis was one of the best players on the planet. Kocsis scored 11 times at the 1954 World Cup, but still had to settle for the Silver Ball behind Ferenc Puskas.
The Hungarians lost the final to West Germany despite having a 2-0 lead after eight minutes.
1958 – Just Fontaine, 13
To this day, Just Fontaine holds the record for the most goals scored in a single World Cup.
He scored seven more than anyone else as France finished third in Sweden.
1962 – Florian Albert, Valentin Ivanov, Garrincha, Vava, Drazan Jerkovic, Leonel Sanchez, 4
Six players shared the Golden Boot in 1962.
The tally of four was the lowest in Men’s World Cup Golden Boot history, and the total of 89 goals scored in the tournament is the joint-fewest since the 1950 edition (partly because of format changes).
Garrincha and Vava were Brazil’s two representatives in the Golden Boot-winning group. The former was also voted Best Player.
1966 – Eusebio, 9
Geoff Hurst’s final hat-trick might be what’s best remembered from the 1966 World Cup, but Hurst only finished with four goals.
The genius that was Eusebio had nine in the tournament and three more than anyone else.
He scored penalties in the semi-final and third place playoff following four goals in an entertaining last eight win over North Korea.
1970 – Gerd Muller, 10
Gerd Muller was the leading World Cup scorer of all-time, largely due to his 10 goals at the 1970 World Cup.
Germany played the maximum number of matches thanks to their run to the third place playoff, and Muller was effective throughout, including an extra-time to knock England out in the last eight.
1974 – Grzegorz Lato, 7
Grzegorz Lato led a great Poland team at the 1974 World Cup. Lato’s seven goals were supported by five from Andrzej Szarmacha and Kazimierz Deyna’s Bronze Ball-winning performances.
A loss to West Germany in the second group phase left the Poles in the third place playoff. They beat Brazil in the consolation fixture, with Lato scoring the only goal of the match.
1978 – Mario Kempes, 6
Argentina won their first World Cup in 1978 on the back of six goals from Mario Kempes.
The Bell Ville native scored two of his six in their famous final win over the Netherlands. He pipped Paolo Rossi to an unofficial Golden Ball award, too.
1982 – Paolo Rossi, 6
Italy went all the way in Spain in 1982. It was the Azzurri’s third world title, and Paolo Rossi followed up his 1978 Silver Ball with a Golden Boot.
Rossi scored the opening goal in the final and a crucial brace in the last four. The late, great Italian striker also picked up the Ballon d’Or in 1982, having won his first Scudetto with Juventus.
1986 – Gary Lineker, 6
A rare instance where the Golden Boot winner didn’t reach the semi-final, Gary Lineker became just the second England player to score a World Cup hat-trick against Poland and followed up with a brace in the next round when the Three Lions faced Paraguay.
Lineker also found the net in the last eight as England were controversially knocked out by Diego Maradona and Argentina.
1990 – Salvatore Schillaci, 6
Italy were unable to lift the trophy in front of their home fans in 1990, but Salvatore Schillaci provided a slight positive with his performances.
Six of his seven international goals were scored at the tournament, leading to a Golden Boot and Golden Ball for the then-Juventus striker.
1994 – Hristo Stoichkov, Oleg Salenko, 6
One of only two times in World Cup history where the Golden Boot was shared, Hristo Stoichkov of Bulgaria and Russia’s Oleg Salenko were tied on six apiece.
Salenko’s efforts were particularly impressive given that Russia didn’t even make it out of their group with Sweden and Brazil. Stoichkov and Bulgaria had to settle for fourth.
1998 – Davor Suker, 6
The 1998 World Cup is remembered for the brilliance of Ronaldo, Michael Owen’s wondergoal and France’s first title. Davor Šuker’s importance in the tournament shouldn’t be forgotten about, though.
Šuker scored in every knockout match as Croatia went all the way to the last four. He was the Ballon d’Or runner-up in the same year.
2002 – Ronaldo, 8
After a frustrating end to the 1998 World Cup for Brazil and Ronaldo, they were back with a thunderous bang four years later. O Fenômeno topped the scoring charts with eight goals as Seleção won their fifth title.
After winning the Golden Ball in 1998, Ronaldo had to settle for the silver variety on this occasion behind Oliver Kahn.
2006 – Miroslav Klose, 5
Scorer of five goals in 2002, Miroslav Klose repeated that feat at Germany’s home World Cup four years later. Ronaldo, who scored just three times, was unable to stop Klose winning the Golden Boot on this occasion, however.
Klose was the first German to win the award since reunification, though it wasn’t enough for Germany to go all the way.
Goals right at the end of extra time in the semi-final from Fabio Grosso and Alessandro del Piero left the Germans heartbroken.
2010 – Thomas Muller, 5
Germany were a bit of an unknown ahead of World Cup predictions in 2010. A new-look team took the footballing world by storm, and Thomas Muller quickly proved he could thrive on the sport’s biggest stage.
Muller was actually tied with David Villa, Wesley Sneijder and Diego Forlan, but assists were used as a tiebreaker which gave the German the edge.
2014 – James Rodriguez, 6
Even those very familiar with in-play betting weren’t tipping James Rodriguez as a Golden Boot winner before the tournament. It was a breakout for the Colombian in Brazil.
The outrageous goal against Uruguay will live long in the memory for football fans from every continent – it also earned him the 2014 Puskas Award.
2018 – Harry Kane, 6
Just England’s second ever World Cup Golden Boot winner, Harry Kane found the net six times as Gareth Southgate guided the Three Lions to their first World Cup semi-final since 1990.
Kane moved to second on England’s all-time World Cup scoring charts with his six goals. His hat-trick against Panama made him just the third Englishman to score thrice in a World Cup fixture, which followed a brace in the win over Tunisia.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 4th May 2022
