World Cup 2026 betting tips: Who gets the Golden Boot? And can Argentina retain their crown?

Everything is massive in America. Coffee arrives in buckets, and the supermarkets are so big you need Google Maps to navigate a path from the Meat & Fish aisle to the Frozen Foods section.

So naturally, the 2026 World Cup - which the USA is co-hosting - is the biggest ever. For the first time - 48 teams will compete over 39 days to find out who the best team in the world are.

Argentina are defending champions, but Spain are favourites with the bookies to lift the famous old trophy for the first time since 2010.

Here, for your bawdy enjoyment, is the definitive Golden Boot gambling guide courtesy of Sports News Blitz’s punting laureate - The Bookie Basher.

Messi 14s for Golden Boot in US swansong

The greatest show on earth is almost upon us, and as always, punters have been keen to get stuck into the Top Goalscorer markets.

The irascible Lionel Messi has won the lot in a frankly outrageous career, but ominously for all his genius, he has never won a Golden Boot on the biggest international stage of them all.  

Age 38 = this event surely signals his final chance to change all that, and Argentina’s eternal idol is a 14/1 chance to get it done.

Messi’s great rival Cristiano Ronaldo is a 20/1 poke to win the Golden Boot, and if things run to form, then Portugal would actually meet Argentina in the quarter-finals (a first Messi vs Ronaldo meeting at a major international tournament).

Torres too big at 50/1

To be fair, every World Cup unearths a random forward who turns into prime Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima for a couple of weeks - signs a £70m contract with a top European club - and then vanishes like socks in a washing machine.

I’m talking to you, Asamoah Gyan, James Rodríguez and last time out big Wout Weghorst.

With some minnows involved this year, it’s also not beyond the realms that someone could go goal-crazy in the group phase and be too far ahead to be reeled in when the tournament reaches the business end.

That’s not happened since USA '94 though - when Oleg Salenko bagged five in a 6-1 thrashing of Cameroon, and his six goals overall secured the boot for him despite the fact Russia failed to progress from Group B.

Outliers such as Salenko aside, however, to get this bet up, you usually need two things - a good supply line and for the team of your chosen player to progress deep into the tournament.

This is why I think Ferran Torres is too big at 50/1 to grab the Golden Boot.

Spain blew all their rivals away at the last Euros and have arguably the strongest midfield of all the teams heading to America.

This price factors in that Torres will need a bit of rub. He’s not the first choice, but Iberian star Lamine Yamal feared he would miss the World Cup altogether after injuring his hamstring playing for Barcelona in April.

The signs are that he should be fit, but Spain might not fancy risking his precious hammy against minnows Cape Verde first up.

If he misses out, Torres surely starts with Mikel Oyarzabal up top, and if Ferran hits the ground running, he could keep his place for Spain’s second match against the Saudis.

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Big scores not uncommon in Winner / Golden Boot market

At the last World Cup, I had £15 on Kylian Mbappe to be the top scorer and Argentina to win the World Cup at 150/1.

After that incredible Sunday final - while on shaky legs - I held a press conference in my garage while nine cans of Guinness deep and took questions from a non-assembled media while declaring the win “a triumph of vision and courage.”

Mbappe is a 6/1 Golden Boot jolly this time round, and you can get 16/1 that he finishes top scorer in a World Cup that France win.

Fancy England to end 60 years of hurt? You can get 20/1 they win the thing, and Harry Kane ends up as top scorer.

Kane has surpassed 40 goals for a third straight year at Bayern Munich and might be at his absolute peak.

However, it would take someone a very long time to convince me that Argentina do not go deep this summer.

Julian Alvarez has been superb for Atletico Madrid this season, and I just can’t ignore 100/1 quotes that he wins the Golden Boot and Argentina retain their crown.

So join me in having a peanut play on the Alvarez / Argies double at crazy prices, and feel free to join me and the players in singing Himno Nacional Argentino before every match whilst crying.

Suggested Bet #1: Ferran Torres to win the Golden Boot at 50/1 (Bet Victor)

Suggested Bet #2: Argentina / Alvarez (World Cup Winner / Top Goalscorer) at 100/1 (Bet Victor / Paddy Power)

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