World Cup 2026: Golden boot race sparks early surprise contenders

Across 16 matches, a total of 46 goals have been scored at an average of 2.88 goals per game. So far, 39 different players have found the net.

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World Cup 2026: Golden boot race sparks early surprise contenders

KATHMANDU: North America–hosted FIFA World Cup 2026 has completed 16 group-stage matches as of Tuesday morning, marking an early but already intriguing phase of the tournament.

For the first time in history, the competition features 48 teams, and while not all sides have played their opening matches yet, the tournament is gradually taking shape.

Although the World Cup is still in its early stages, an unexpected trend has already emerged in the race for the adidas Golden Boot: lesser-known and previously unheralded players are making strong early claims, challenging pre-tournament expectations.

Across 16 matches, a total of 46 goals have been scored at an average of 2.88 goals per game. So far, 39 different players have found the net.

Among them, four players are currently tied at the top with two goals each, while 35 players have scored once. Additionally, three goals have come via own goals.

New Zealand’s Elijah Just joined the group of two-goal scorers after netting twice in a 2–2 draw against Iran on Tuesday morning. He now stands alongside Germany’s Kai Havertz, Sweden’s Yasin Ayari, and the United States’ Folarin Balogun, who had already scored twice earlier in the tournament.

Monaco forward Folarin Balogun opened his account in style, scoring twice before half-time in the United States’ 4–1 win over Paraguay in their Group D opener. He became the first American player since the inaugural 1930 World Cup to score two or more goals in a World Cup opening match.

Germany’s Kai Havertz also made headlines with a brace in their opening Group E match, a dominant 7–1 victory over debutants Curaçao. Havertz’s performance added to Germany’s strong World Cup history, recalling their famous 7–1 semi-final win over Brazil in 2014.

On the same day, Sweden’s Yasin Ayari also scored twice in a 5–1 win over Tunisia, immediately placing himself among the early Golden Boot contenders. With Elijah Just’s recent brace, the number of players on two goals has now risen to four.

With several major contenders yet to play their opening matches and top strikers still awaiting action, predicting the Golden Boot winner remains highly uncertain. The coming fixtures are expected to intensify the race significantly.