DAZN Panel's World Cup predictions: The Golden Boot Winner

It's World Cup kick-off week, and with excitement at a fever pitch ahead of the tournament's opening game, the DAZN News Panel have been debating what could happen at this year's finals. 

48 teams will compete in the biggest World Cup of all time over the next six weeks, with 104 matches to enjoy across Mexico, Canada and the USA. 

Before things get underway, however, it's time for some predictions, and one of the hotly contested races will be which goal-getter will take home the prestigious Golden Boot.

Legends such as Ronaldo, Gary Lineker and Davor Suker are all previous winners of the shiny shoe, but here's who we think could be taking home the prize in 2026... 

---

Harry Kane – World Cup 2018 Golden Boot winner

Every goal from Kane’s 2018 tournament

---

Ash Rose - Harry Kane 

There's always a chance that an unlikely name will take home the big prize, but this expanded format feels primed for a big hitter, and they don't come bigger than Kane right now. 

The England skipper is in the form of his life, having netted 61 times for Bayern in 2025-26 and has the opportunity to be the first man to win two World Cup Golden Boots. 

With Panama in the Three Lions group ripe for the taking, Kane could yet further press home his Ballon d'Or claims by top scoring in North America. 

Gareth Jones - Mikel Oyarzabal

Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal has banged in 11 goals in his last 10 international appearances and is already ninth in Spain’s all-time scorer list.

15 domestic goals in 30 appearances for the Real Sociedad captain this season, with 25 international strikes in 53 caps – one goal in every two is no fluke.

He is proven to perform at the very highest level, on the biggest occasions, scoring the winner in Spain’s 2-1 Euro 24 Final victory over England.

(C)Getty Images

Matt Astbury - Harry Kane 

I’ve got a feeling it will be England captain Harry Kane. After a stellar season with Bayern Munich, I expect Kane to carry on this form for his country.

It’s no secret that he is the focal point of any England attack, and Kane looks to be in the best shape he’s been in for some time, which will give England fans hope that he can finally end the many years of hurt.

Rudi Schuller - Kylian Mbappe 

Just as he did in the last World Cup, I believe Kylian Mbappé will once again claim the Golden Boot award this time around.

The French superstar simply turns up when his country needs him, and he'll have plenty of opportunities to find the back of the net.

Chris Walker - Kylian Mbappe 

Although I don’t think France will lift the trophy, it’s hard to envision them not going long in the tournament, and that could mean Kylian Mbappe filling his boots again.

The World Cup is his stage, and with Iraq, Norway, and Senegal in France’s group, Mbappe can bolster his incredible tally at the World Cup before adding more goals in the knockout rounds.

Jason Abbey - Kylian Mbappe 

A bit of a boring prediction considering he's the favourite, but with France expected to go far and given their group, Mbappe's in a great position to top the scoring charts for the second tournament on the bounce.

An argument can be made for a handful of others, and it was particularly tough not to go with Kane, but even his case isn't as strong as Mbappe's.

Andrew Steel - Harry Kane 

Even with the hot conditions likely to force a rethink in traditional operations, it's hard to look past Harry Kane. The England forward is coming off the back of another terrific season with Bayern Munich.

A former Golden Boot winner eight years ago, there's no shortage of talent in the striker's boots. If the Three Lions are to embark on a deep run across North America, they will need their skipper to be firing.

Watch World Cup archive, highlights and documentaries for FREE on DAZN

DAZN is the home of FIFA+, a vast library of football on-demand content including World Cup archive, iconic documentaries, player profiles, live matches and both full match replays and highlights.

Watch it all for FREE on DAZN on smart TVs, phones, tablets, streaming devices, games consoles and web browsers.