FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winners: Top goal scorers from 1930 to 2018
The FIFA World Cup 2022 will kick-off in Qatar next Sunday (November 20). The 32-team competition, over the years, has seen some brilliant individual performances and players have a chance to win several awards including the Golden Boot honour.
At this year’s World Cup too, many players will be eyeing to make a mark and win the Golden Boot award, which was started in 1982.
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The Golden Boot award is given to the top goal scorer of the FIFA World Cup. Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, of Portugal, France’s Kylian Mbappe, and many others will be hoping to add to their goals’ tally and win the top prize.
In the last edition, England’s Harry Kane had won the Golden Boot award. He is back in the FIFA World Cup tournament this time too. Will he become the first man in World Cup history to win the Golden Boot honour twice?
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Earlier, from 1982, the Golden Boot was known as the Golden Shoe award. It was renamed Golden Boot in 2010.
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In case of a tie between two players, the one with the most non-penalty goals will win the award. If still there is a tie, then assists will be taken into consideration. If still not able to separate, then the one who has played the lesser number of minutes will get the award.
Also read: Full list of FIFA World Cup 2022 squads
Past Golden Boot award winners at FIFA World Cups
- 2018 – Harry Kane (England) (6 goals)
- 2014 – James Rodriguez (Colombia) (6)
- 2010 – Thomas Muller (Germany) (5)
- 2006 – Miroslav Klose (Germany) (5)
- 2002 – Ronaldo (Brazil) (8)
- 1998 – Davor Suker (Croatia) (6)
- 1994 – Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria), Oleg Salenko (Russia) (6)
- 1990 – Salvatore Schillaci (Italy) (6)
- 1986 – Gary Lineker (England) (6)
- 1982 – Paolo Rossi (Italy) (6)
Top goal scorers before 1982
- 1978 – Mario Kempes (Argentina) (6)
- 1974 – Grzegorz Lato (Poland) (7)
- 1970 – Gerd Muller (West Germany) (10)
- 1966 – Eusebio (Portugal) (9)
- 1962 – Florian Albert (Hungary), Garrincha (Brazil), Valentin Ivanov (USSR), Drazen Jerkovic (Yugoslavia), Leonel Sanchez (Chile), Vava (Brazil) (4)
- 1958 – Just Fontaine (France) (13)
- 1954 – Sandor Kocsis (Hungary) (11)
- 1950 – Ademir (Brazil) (9)
- 1938 – Leonidas (Brazil) (7)
- 1934 – Oldrich Nejedly (Czechoslovakia) (5)
- 1930 – Guillermo Stabile (Argentina) (8)
In 1930, @Argentina‘s Guillermo Stábile became the very first top scorer of a @FIFAWorldCup ⚽️🇦🇷
He scored eight goals in four games, including a hat-trick in a group stage match against Mexico🙌
His silver medal from the tournament is now in our collection 🤩🥈#TBT pic.twitter.com/jDNgu4nCeu
— FIFA Museum (@FIFAMuseum) September 3, 2020