Outsiders: The Alternative Golden Boot Contenders

Not Mbappe, not Kane, and not even Haaland, we gathered the players who are not highly rated by betting agencies and could surprise at the 2026 World Cup. Sign up now for Five Guys, in collaboration with McDonald's Sport 5. Published: 11.06.26, 15:48 Photo: Sport 5

Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane were the top scorers of the previous World Cups, and it is no surprise that they are also the favorites to win the title in 2026. Some believe in Erling Haaland or Mikkel Oyarzabal, and others still remain loyal to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. We like to mix things up and spring surprises, so we put together a list of 10 players who could surprise and are not ranked high on the bookmakers' list of candidates to win the World Cup Golden Boot.

We will begin with Donny Malen. Everyone in the Netherlands is talking about Memphis Depay and Cody Gakpo, but the winger who arrived at Roma in January is in the best form of the three, having scored 14 goals in 18 Serie A matches. A good option for those who believe the Netherlands can once again go far in a major tournament.

Raul Jimenez, Fulham's 35-year-old striker, may already be past his peak, but all signs show that he will have a good tournament. Mexico is the host team, and its regular penalty taker can cause plenty of trouble for opponents while taking advantage of the altitude and home-field advantage.

Another option is Breel Embolo. Switzerland's 29-year-old striker arrived late to camp because of visa issues, but in every major tournament he knows how to rise to the occasion, and this time his national team also has a very comfortable group and a solid core of players that can reach the advanced stages.

Son Heung-min knows that this is probably his last World Cup. At 33, the former Tottenham player is still his team's main finisher, both from set pieces and from the penalty spot, and he has a lot to offer. He scored 7 goals in the Asian qualifiers, and South Korea has a relatively balanced group.

Aisa Oueda, Christian Pulisic, Luis Suarez, Enner Valencia, Jonathan David, Charles De Ketelaere. World Cup 2026. Found a language error?