Which forward will make the biggest impact at the 2026 World Cup with Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, and Cristiano Ronaldo eyeing golden boot?
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Published 09/10/2025 at 14:15 GMT+1
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With the latest round of World Cup qualifiers set to begin, the picture will soon become clearer as to which teams and, crucially, players will be taking part in the tournament in North America next summer. All eyes will be on the world's best strikers, as the battle for scoring supremacy will be just as competitive as the competition itself. We look at their records before next summer's bonanza.
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Another international break sees several teams closing in on qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Next summer's tournament will be the biggest to date, featuring, for the first time, 48 teams - up from 32.
The USA, Mexico and Canada will host the bumper competition, with matches currently scheduled to take place in 16 cities across the three nations.
As we get closer to finding out which teams will compete in North America, there is also a sense of anticipation over which of the world's greatest players will be performing on the grandest of stages.
In particular, all eyes will be on the world's most lethal attackers as, in addition to the main prize, the golden boot for the top scorer will be up for grabs.
We take a premature look at some of the players who will have their eye on scoring the goals that could potentially lead their nation to glory.
Harry Kane
In the two years since breaking the previous England scoring record of 53, Harry Kane has added another 20 strikes to his tally, taking him up to 74.
Given the next highest scorer in the most recent Three Lions squad is Marcus Rashford with 18, and with the Bayern Munich striker still firing on all cylinders, his record looks set to remain intact for some time.
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In major tournaments for his country, Kane has scored 15 times, including eight goals across two World Cups in 2018 and 2022 – the former saw him claim the golden boot with six strikes.
His last World Cup goal came in the quarter-final defeat to France in Qatar, where he famously also missed a penalty, something he will be more than determined to put right should England qualify for the tournament, as they chase a first major honour for what will be 60 years come the summer.
As Thomas Tuchel’s side sit top of their group ahead of a trip to Latvia, Kane currently has four goals in the qualifying campaign and will be looking to add to that.
| International goals | 74 |
| International games | 109 |
| Tournament goals (World Cup, Euros) | 15 |
| World Cup goals | 8 |
| World Cup knockout stage goals | 3 |
| 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign goals | 4 |
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Cristiano Ronaldo
The all-time leading men’s top scorer in international football will be hoping to power his Portugal side to North America and not only add to his own impressive total, but finally check off the World Cup on his already-stacked list of honours.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid hitman has 141 international goals to his name with 22 of them coming in major tournaments, including three goals en route to helping his country lift the trophy at Euro 2016.
Eight of Cristiano Ronaldo’s tournament goals have been at World Cups, having played at the 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 editions. However, despite this, he has never scored in a knockout match on the world’s biggest stage.
In the current qualifying campaign, he already has three goals in two matches after Portugal’s delayed start following their successful UEFA Nations League campaign.
| International goals | 141 |
| International games | 223 |
| Tournament goals (World Cup, Euros) | 22 |
| World Cup goals | 8 |
| World Cup knockout stage goals | 0 |
| 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign goals | 3 |
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi’s 114 strikes for his country makes him far and away Argentina’s all-time leading marksman and he will be hoping to lead them to back-to-back World Cups following their victory in 2022, although there are doubts.
Argentina wrapped up qualifying for next year’s tournament in September after topping CONMEBOL’s brutal group featuring 10 major South American sides, where, across 18 matches, Messi bagged eight goals to finish as top scorer.
When it comes to tournaments, Messi has 27 goals across World Cups and Copa Americas.
The most famous of these naturally came in the 2022 World Cup final as he netted twice in Argentina’s memorable 3-3 draw with France that was eventually settled on penalties in Messi’s side’s favour.
| International goals | 114 |
| International games | 194 |
| Tournament goals (World Cup, Copa America) | 27 |
| World Cup goals | 13 |
| World Cup knockout stage goals | 5 |
| 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign goals | 8 |
Erling Haaland
The Norwegian already boasts a record of better than a goal a game for his country with 48 goals from just 45 matches, so it is not just defences at club level who need to be concerned.
In the current round of qualifying matches, goals against Moldova, Israel, Italy and Estonia served as an early warning, but one that the first of these opponents did not quite heed ahead of their trip to Oslo in September.
In an astonishing 11-1 win, Haaland netted five times – the most in a single UEFA qualifier since Hans Krankl’s six for Austria against Malta in 1977.
Not that this was an unfamiliar feat for Haaland, having twice previously scored five in a single game for City in the UEFA Champions League against RB Leipzig in 2023, and again against Luton Town in the FA Cup in 2024.
Norway have not yet qualified for an international tournament in Haaland’s lifetime, but his nine strikes have propelled them to the top of their qualifying group with three matches to play, meaning, all being well, the 25-year-old will get the opportunity to terrorise international teams on the biggest stage next summer.
| International goals | 48 |
| International games | 45 |
| Tournament goals (World Cup, Euros) | 0 |
| World Cup goals | 0 |
| World Cup knockout stage goals | 0 |
| 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign goals | 9 |
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Kylian Mbappe
With 52 goals to his name, Kylian Mbappe is hunting down Olivier Giroud’s record of 57 as France’s all-time top scorer.
The Real Madrid man has 13 tournament goals for his country, with 12 of those coming across two World Cups in 2018 and 2022 – in both of which France reached the final.
In the 4-2 win over Croatia in the former, Mbappe became the first teenager since Pele to score in a World Cup final and four years later, became the first player since Geoff Hurst to score a hat-trick in the showpiece match.
With two goals from two winning matches in the current qualifying campaign so far with Les Blues, Mbappe and his colleagues will be gunning for a third final in a row should they reach North America in 2026.
| International goals | 52 |
| International games | 92 |
| Tournament goals (World Cup, Euros) | 13 |
| World Cup goals | 12 |
| World Cup knockout stage goals | 8 |
| 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign goals | 2 |
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Robert Lewandowski
At 37, the Polish striker is potentially looking at a final bow for his country should they reach the tournament.
They currently sit second behind the Netherlands in their qualifying group, meaning they may need to navigate the play-offs to get to the Americas.
Lewandowski’s goals against Lithuania and Finland in the current campaign have helped them on their way, and increased his overall Poland total to 86.
If Poland do qualify, he will hope to improve on the two goals he scored in 2022 against Saudi Arabia and France respectively.
| International goals | 86 |
| International games | 160 |
| Tournament goals (World Cup, Euros) | 8 |
| World Cup goals | 2 |
| World Cup knockout stage goals | 1 |
| 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign goals | 2 |
Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah has almost single-handedly led the charge for Egypt and their return to the World Cup.
The Pharaohs confirmed their trip to America courtesy of a 3-0 victory in Djibouti with Salah scoring twice for his eighth and ninth goals of the qualifying campaign.
After Egypt's 28-year absence from the tournament, the Liverpool striker was also key in their qualification back in 2018.
And despite arriving in Russia with a serious shoulder injury from that year’s UEFA Champions League final that almost ruled him out of the competition, he still managed to bag his first two World Cup goals
He now has the chance to add to that next year.
| International goals* | 63 |
| International games* | 108 |
| Tournament goals (World Cup, AFCON) | 9 |
| World Cup goals | 2 |
| World Cup knockout stage goals | 0 |
| 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign goals | 7 |
Neymar
Having been Brazil’s erstwhile poster boy for a decade and a half, there is a chance we may not even see Neymar at the 2026 World Cup.
Injuries and indifferent form have seen him sidelined for the national team, with Carlo Ancelotti leaving him out of his most recent squads despite his status as Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79.
As Brazil laboured through qualification, Neymar’s only notable contribution was a brace in a 5-1 win over Bolivia back in 2023 – his last international goals.
Should the 33-year-old rediscover his form in time for next summer, he will be keen to add to the eight at the tournament he scored previously, including Brazil’s last World Cup goal in their 2022 quarter-final exit to Croatia.
| International goals | 79 |
| International games | 128 |
| Tournament goals (World Cup, Copa America) | 13 |
| World Cup goals | 8 |
| World Cup knockout stage goals | 3 |
| 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign goals | 2 |
All stats via Opta except *stats from RSSSF
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