At every FIFA World Cup, winning the coveted trophy is the goal for every football player. Several awards at handed out at the end of every World Cup edition, alongside the prestigious World Cup trophy presented to the winning side.
The FIFA World Cup Golden Boot is the highest award for top scorers. And over the years, numerous players have won the award, from Guillermo Stabile to Eusebio, Gerd Muller and Ronaldo Luss Nazario de Lima.
The Golden Ball, for example, is given out to the best player of each FIFA World Cup edition while the Golden Glove goes to the goalkeepers with the most clean sheets. For attacking players, the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot, given to the top scorer of each edition, is the holy grail.
The Best Young Player award is for the best U-21 player at the tournament. FIFA Fair Play Trophy, Goal of the Tournament and Most Entertaining Team awards are also there.
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
Germany and Brazil have produced the most number of players that have won the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot award. Other countries like Argentina, England and France have also had some winners. Originally as Golden Shoe, the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot award was first presented in 1982 and was rebranded as the Golden Boot in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
However, top scorers at previous FIFA World Cup editions are also recognised as Golden Boot winners. The second-highest scorer at each football World Cup wins the Silver Boot while the third-highest scorer walks away with the Bronze Boot.
How is the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot awarded, or under what criteria is it awarded? The player with the most goals at the end of the tournament or the top scorer receives the award. However, if two players finish as top scorers, a tie-breaker goes to the player who has played the least amount of time, resulting in a higher goal average.
Until 1994, the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot award could be shared between multiple top scorers. The first instance the Golden Boot was shared among players was in the 1962 edition held in Chile. Six players – Hungary’s Florian Albert, Soviet Union’s Valentin Ivanov, Brazil’s Garrincha and Vava, Yugoslavia’s Drazan Jerkovic and the host nation’s Leonel Sanchez – finished as joint top-scorers with four goals each.
🖐️ The only man to score 5 times in a single #WorldCup match turns 52 today 🎂
🇷🇺 Happy birthday, Oleg Salenko 🥳pic.twitter.com/oHA5GSIQwU
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) October 25, 2021
FootTheBall breaks down the list of the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winners from 1930 to 2018.
FIFA World Cup Golden Boot Winners List
| No. | Year | Venue | Winner | Country | Goals scored |
| 1 | 1930 | Uruguay | Guillermo Stabile | Argentina | 8 |
| 2 | 1934 | Italy | Oldrich Nejedly | Czech Republic | 5 |
| 3 | 1938 | France | Leonidas | Brazil | 7 |
| 4 | 1950 | Brazil | Ademir | Brazil | 8 |
| 5 | 1954 | Switzerland | Sandor Kocsis | Hungary | 11 |
| 6 | 1958 | Sweden | Just Fontaine | France | 13 |
| 7 | 1962 | Chile | Garrincha | Brazil | 4 |
| 8 | 1966 | England | Eusebio | Portugal | 9 |
| 9 | 1970 | Mexico | Gerd Muller | Germany | 10 |
| 10 | 1974 | W.Germany | Grzegorz Lato | Poland | 7 |
| 11 | 1978 | Argentina | Mario Kempes | Argentina | 6 |
| 12 | 1982 | Spain | Paolo Rossi | Poland | 6 |
| 13 | 1986 | Mexico | Gary Lineker | England | 6 |
| 14 | 1990 | Italy | Salvatore Schillaci | Italy | 6 |
| 15 | 1994 | USA | Oleg Salenko | Russia | 6 |
| 16 | 1998 | France | Davor Suker | Croatia | 6 |
| 17 | 2002 | S.Korea/Japan | Ronaldo | Brazil | 8 |
| 18 | 2006 | Germany | Miroslav Klose | Germany | 5 |
| 19 | 2010 | South Africa | Thomas Muller | Germany | 5 |
| 20 | 2014 | Brazil | James Rodríguez | Colombia | 6 |
| 21 | 2018 | Russia | Harry Kane | England | 6 |
If recent form and competition is anything to go by, the 2022 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot race is going down to the wire. From the likes of Messi and Ronaldo to Kane, Lewandowski and Mbappe, this edition promises to be a belter.
*This article is sponsored by Sportsmint Media.
