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The 10 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winners
SEN • May 5th, 2026 4:46 pm
The FIFA World Cup top scorer has always been recognised but only since 1982 has the Golden Shoe or Boot been awarded.
It was named the Golden Shoe from 1982 until Golden Boot took over in 2010.
See the 10 leading scorers winners in FIFA World Cup history.
The 10 Golden Boot winners
1982 (Spain) - Paolo Rossi (Italy)
Scored six goals in Spain. Also won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player as Italy won the title.
1986 (Mexico) - Gary Lineker (England)
The Englishman netted six goals in Mexico. Scored a hat-trick in the third group stage game against Poland and hit the back of the net twice against Paraguay in the Round of 16.
1990 (Italy) - Salvatore Schillaci (Italy)
In their home World Cup the Italians could only muster a third-placed finish. But not for the best efforts of Schillaci who scored six goals to claim the Golden Boot. He also won the Golden Ball.
1994 (USA) - Oleg Salenko (Russia) & Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria)
Salenko and Stoichkov scored six goals each in the USA. The former holds the record as the only play to win the Golden Boot for a side that failed to make it beyond the group stage. The pair remained tied on six goals and one assist each.
1998 (France) - Davor Šuker (Croatia)
Six goals from Šuker in France as Croatia went on a golden run to finish third. He netted twice in the group stage, then once in each of the Round of 16, Quarter Final, Semi Final and third-place playoff.
2002 (South Korea/Japan) - Ronaldo (Brazil)
Ronaldo was dominant in Asia, netting eight goals as Brazil won a fifth title. It was an iconic comeback from O Fenômeno who had missed more than two years with injury in the lead-up.
2006 (Germany) - Miroslav Klose (Germany)
The German scored five goals in his home tournament in 2006. Klose's handful of strikes was the lowest goals tally to win the award since 1962.
2010 (South Africa) - Thomas Müller (Germany)
Five goals for another German in another third-place finish, this time in South Africa. There was a four-way tie on five goals between Müller, Spain's David Villa, Holland's Wesley Sneijder and Uruguay's Diego Forlán. Müller won the award as he had three assists while the rest had one.
2014 (Brazil) - James Rodriguez (Colombia)
It was a breakout tournament from the Colombian who scored six goals, including an absolute worldie in Rio against Uruguay in the Round of 16. His performances led to a big-money move from Monaco to Real Madrid.
2018 (Russia) - Harry Kane (England)
Six goals from Kane in Russia in 2016. He became the first Englishman since Gary Lineker to win the tournament's leading scorer award as the Three Lions finished fourth.
2022 (Qatar) - Kylian Mbappé (France)
Mbappé scored eight goals in Qatar as France made it to the Final where he scored a hat-trick. Edged Lionel Messi by one goal to win the individual award, but the little master had the last laugh by leading Argentina to the ultimate gprize.
The FIFA World Cup 26™ in the USA, Mexico and Canada kicks off on Friday, June 12. You can hear EVERY GAME LIVE across the SEN network.
