By Jack Ogalbe
Some of world football's greatest strikers have won the Golden Boot at a World Cup - but no player has ever won it twice.
France superstar Kylian Mbappe claimed the prize with eight goals in 2022 while England skipper Harry Kane had the Midas touch in Russia four years earlier.
The pair head the betting to strike gold this summer and their chance of a repeat success is obvious, but there are numerous other contenders for the prestigious accolade.
Lionel Messi has scored 13 goals at the World Cup, three shy of Miroslav Klose's record and one more than Mbappe, but three years in MLS, where he has achieved great success but rarely plays at anything other than his own pace, is hardly ideal preparation for someone who turns 39 before the end of the group stage.
Then there is Messi's great rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be desperate to make an impact at what will surely be his last finals, and Spanish starlet Lamine Yamal.
And with an expanded tournament this time around, the 2026 winner of the Golden Boot may even need to hit double figures to take home the prize.
Dembele has a point to prove on the grandest stage
Mbappe's struggles at Real Madrid mean his France team-mate Ousmane Dembele could be a better bet to add the Golden Boot to the Ballon d'Or he picked up last year.
Dembele's 2024-25 campaign ignited in the winter as he inspired Paris Saint-Germain to a domestic and European treble.
The French powerhouses have enjoyed more success this season and it is no surprise that Dembele's return to full fitness has coincided with their improvement.
The 30-year-old also has something to prove at the World Cup. He started the 2018 tournament but lost his place in the tactical reshuffle that introduced Olivier Giroud into the side, while he again failed to score in Qatar four years ago and lasted only 41 minutes of the final defeat to Argentina.
Dembele will have a bigger role to play this summer, potentially in the false-nine position where he has excelled for PSG.
With doubts over Mbappe's form and fitness heading into the tournament, Dembele could be the man to spearhead Les Bleus' charge for a third world title.
La Roja's Euros hero could make hay in weak group
Recent Spanish coaches have tried several more fashionable options, but Luis de la Fuente may have finally hit on the right man to lead the line.
Mikel Oyarzabal emerged from the bench to score Spain's winner in the Euro 2024 final, his only goal of the tournament.
The 29-year-old will earn his World Cup debut this summer and could make hay in La Roja's opening Group H games against Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia, while his industrious style might also undo a stubborn Uruguayan defence on June 26.
In another string to his bow, Oyarzabal is an unerringly composed penalty taker, too.
The Real Sociedad icon scored from the spot in April's Copa del Rey final and two of his six goals in World Cup qualifying were penalties.
Spain's ability to mix the direct with the intricate means Oyarzabal may get further chances from 12 yards out this summer.