TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jude Bellingham has officially entered the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot race, shifting expectations for the tournament's leading goalscorers. The England midfielder climbed the rankings after scoring consecutive braces against Mexico and Norway, propelling the team into the semifinals. Despite the tough games across the USA, Canada, and Mexico, Bellingham has now matched captain Harry Kane with six goals each.
Bellingham’s good performances have surprised many. Data from the sports statistics platform Squawka Signal indicates that the public has been slow to notice a midfielder reaching the top of the goalscoring list.
By arriving late in the penalty box like a second striker, Bellingham is outperforming his expected goals (xG) metrics, which is the mark of a player in peak form rather than one simply converting easy chances.
Furthermore, England's long run in the tournament under Thomas Tuchel helps Bellingham's chances. As the tournament includes a third-place playoff, all remaining semifinalists are guaranteed to play two more games. This extra time gives the English midfielder an advantage over players whose teams have gone home, as he prepares for the semifinal against Argentina in Atlanta.
The Golden Boot Contenders
Kylian Mbappe (France) — 8 Goals
The tournament favorite to win the Golden Boot award is close to making history. As France's all-time top goalscorer, Mbappe looks to be at the peak of his game, delivering penalties against Paraguay and Morocco to become the World Cup's most prolific knockout-stage scorer.
Lionel Messi (Argentina) — 8 Goals
The 39-year-old maestro has shown his lasting quality, setting a record by scoring in nine straight World Cup games. Despite missing a penalty against Egypt, Messi helped his team come back with three late goals earlier in the tournament, along with a goal against Cape Verde.
Erling Haaland (Norway) — 7 Goals
The Manchester City forward had a great first World Cup, maintaining a 14-game international scoring streak with doubles against Iraq and Senegal. However, his chances of winning the Golden Boot award ended after England beat Norway in the quarterfinals.
Harry Kane (England) — 6 Goals
Entering the tournament fresh off a career-best club season, the England captain has surpassed Gary Lineker as the country's top all-time World Cup scorer. With the help of Thomas Tuchel's tactics, Kane remains sharp ahead of the semifinal clash with Argentina.
Jude Bellingham (England) — 6 Goals
The midfielder sits tied with his captain after scoring crucial braces against both Mexico and Norway. By attacking from deep positions, Bellingham represents the best value in data predictions among the remaining active contenders.
Ousmane Dembele (France) — 5 Goals
The winger started playing well in the group stage, scoring three goals in the first half against Norway. While quieter in the early knockout rounds, Dembele found the net again in France's quarterfinal victory over Morocco, showing he can peak at the right time.
Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) — 4 Goals
The forward's two goals against Austria showed that Spain's attackers are improving as the tournament goes on. Though service was harder to come by in the quarterfinals against Belgium, Oyarzabal remains a threat for the semifinalists.
Lautaro Martinez (Argentina) — 2 Goals
While he often finds it hard to score as much for his country as he does for his club, Martinez helped when needed by scoring the final goal against Switzerland to keep himself in the conversation.
Mikel Merino (Spain) — 2 Goals
The midfielder entered the top ten after scoring in two consecutive games for Spain. His most important moment came at the end of the match against Belgium, where he scored the winning goal to send La Roja through.
Lamine Yamal (Spain) — 1 Goal
The teenage prodigy was eased into the tournament gradually following a hamstring injury. Even though he scored just minutes into his first World Cup start against Austria, he is seven goals behind the leaders but remains an important part of Spain's play.
The bigger 48-team tournament has led to many goals, putting old records at risk. Aside from the rivalry at the top of the list, players this summer are trying to reach Just Fontaine’s 1958 record of 13 goals in a single tournament.
As reported by Sky Sports, only three players in football history, namely Fontaine, Germany's Gerd Muller (1970), and Hungary's Sandor Kocsis (1954), have ever scored 10 or more goals at a single World Cup tournament.
With the semifinals bringing the best teams together, the additional fixtures guaranteed by the inclusion of the third-place playoff mean the race for the Golden Boot award remains open for the remaining players.
Read: 2026 World Cup Semifinals: Schedule and Team Profiles
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