The 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot odds took a major twist on Friday.
Prior to the tournament, U.S.
men's national team striker Folarin Balogun was +125000 to win the Golden Boot— that's 1250 to 1.
Now, after scoring two goals in USA's opening win vs.
Paraguay, his odds have shortened dramatically to +1800.
Balogun went from not even being in the Golden Boot discussion to fourth on the oddsboard, alongside Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.
Seeing this big of a shift on the oddsboard is extremely unprecedented this early in the tournament.
But the books fully believe Balogun's dominance is here to stay.
The Golden Boot award is given to the top goalscorer of the tournament and should be one of the most popular individual betting markets this summer.
Let's dive into the updated odds at FanDuel Sportsbook as of June 12.
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Golden Boot Winner 2026 Kylian Mbappé: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)Harry Kane: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)Mikel Oyarzabal: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)Folarin Balogun: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)Erling Haaland: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)Lionel Messi: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)Cristiano Ronaldo: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)Julián Alvarez: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)Kai Havertz: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)Lamine Yamal: +2700 (bet $10 to win $280 total)Michael Olise: +2700 (bet $10 to win $280 total)Raphinha: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)Vini Júnior: +3300 (bet $10 to win $340 total)Lautaro Martínez: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)Igor Thiago: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)Romelu Lukaku: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)Cody Gakpo: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)Ousmane Dembélé: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total) Balogun's performance in the U.S.
opener was historic on several accounts.
Here's some context provided by FOX Sports Research: Despite Balogun's stellar play, Kylian Mbappé remains the favorite at +650.
Mbappé is France’s most accomplished active player and became the national team’s captain after the 2022 World Cup.
He won the Golden Boot at that tournament with eight goals, including a hat trick in the final, and played a key role in France’s 2018 World Cup title.
Harry Kane is second on the oddsboard at +750, as England's all-time leading goalscorer.
He's also won the award before, doing so in 2018.
Other players with longer odds include Lamine Yamal and Cristiano Ronaldo— both bonafide superstars.
Balogun will need to keep his current form to fend them off.
Sources: Fox Sports
