2018 World Cup Golden Boot | Top World Cup Goalscorer Tips & Predictions

Of course, every player heading to Russia this summer has been dreaming of making history with their respective nation and lifting the famous trophy. However, on a personal level, some of the leading goalscorers in world football will be looking to claim the prestigious golden boot award too, with the likes of Ronaldo, Thomas Muller and James Rodriguez having claimed the honour in recent years.

Now at Bayern Munich, Rodriguez scored six times for Colombia in Brazil four years ago, however competition is perhaps even fiercer this time around, with some of Europe’s leading marksmen in contention. Many will be looking to back their favourite ahead of the tournament getting underway, with many bookmakers offering attractive odds on this market as a result. There are of course a number of factors to consider when backing your favourite, so let’s take a look at some of the favourites, as well as our predictions in this area of the tournament.

2018 World Cup: Top Goalscorer Pre-Tournament Odds

• Lionel Messi @9/1 William Hill – There is little to be said about Messi that has not already been stated before, with the Barcelona legend determined to add the World Cup to his list of honours within the game. However, the Argentine superstar has just two previous World Cup goals to his name, with Messi having sometimes struggled to replicate his scintillating club form on the international stage. However, if Argentina are to have any chance of matching their achievements from four years ago, it is likely that Messi will feature heavily in Russia.

• Neymar Jr @12/1 NetBet – Despite having recently returned from a three-month absence due to injury, Neymar Jr looks set to once again spearhead Brazil’s challenge. The PSG man found the back of the net on his return to action against Croatia recently, with his record for Brazil making him a likely candidate for the golden boot award.

• Antoine Griezmann @12/1 Ladbrokes – Speculation is mounting surrounding Griezmann’s future at club level, however the Atletico Madrid man is set to lead the line for France this summer, as they look to make up for their Euro 2016 final defeat against Portugal. Having scored twice in the recent Europa League final, Griezmann is clearly coming into the tournament in good form.
• Cristiano Ronaldo @16/1 Betway – Having recently won the Champions League with Real Madrid, Ronaldo will undoubtedly be hoping to fire on all cylinders in Russia. However, with Portugal perhaps lacking the same creativity as Ronaldo’s club team mates, his odds are understandably a little higher than normal.
• Harry Kane @16/1 William Hill – Having enjoyed another successful season in front of goal for Tottenham Hotspur, Kane has now been handed the England captaincy ahead of the World Cup, with the 24-year-old hoping to perform better than he did at Euro 2016 in France. The fact that he is certain to lead the line for Gareth Southgate’s men does mean that he is in with a chance however.
• Gabriel Jesus @20/1 UniBet – It remains to be seen as to whether the Manchester City man will start in attack for Brazil, however Jesus is another significant goalscoring threat for Tite’s side. Still aged just 21, the former Palmeiras man has scored 20 goals in 39 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side.
• Timo Werner @14/1 Ladbrokes – With seven goals for Germany from just 13 appearances, it looks increasingly likely that Werner will lead the line for the defending champions, who are likely to make it to the latter stages once more in Russia.
• Romelu Lukaku @18/1 William Hill – Lukaku recently became Belgium’s all-time leading goalscorer at the age of just 25, with the Manchester United man having enjoyed a fruitful season for both club and country.
• Edison Cavani @25/1 Ladbrokes– Cavani is likely to start alongside Luis Suarez for Uruguay this summer, with the PSG man a constant threat in front of goal.

Potential Outsiders

• Olivier Giroud @ 40/1 NetBet – Giroud has impressed following his move from Arsenal to Chelsea in January, with his partnership with Griezmann meaning that he could well find the back of the net on a regular basis.
• Mohamed Salah @50/1 Betway – Salah has been named in the Egypt squad despite his injury collected in the Champions League final, with the winger having scored a hatful of goals in both the Premier League and in Europe this season.
• Roberto Firmino @ 66/1 William Hill – Another Liverpool player to feature is Firmino, who will be pushing for a starting place in Brazil’s side.
• Radamel Falcao @ 50/1 Ladbrokes – With team mate Rodriguez having claimed the golden boot award four years ago, what are the chances of another Colombian coming out on top.

Our Top Goalscorer Predictions

The top goalscorer award is always something of a lottery, however it is worth considering the form of players, their chances of starting regularly in Russia and the likelihood of their team reaching the latter stages when backing your favourite. Keeping this in mind, our top picks include Timo Werner, Romelu Lukaku and Gabriel Jesus, with the trio having all scored regularly at club level this season. Werner is playing for the reigning champions, who look set to make at least another semi-final this summer, while Jesus looks to be the preferred choice for Brazilian boss Tite in the final third. As for Lukaku, with matches against Panama and Tunisia to look forward to in Group G, the Manchester United striker could well fill his boots early on.