FIFA World Cup: 5 Greatest Golden Boot Winners of All Time

World Cup Golden Boot
The FIFA World Cup Golden Boot

All eyes will be on Russia in June and July as the world's most popular sport celebrates the coming together of 32 nations to win the quadrennial event that is the FIFA World Cup. The 2018 edition promises to entertain with no clear favourites for the top prize.

Even the winner of the Golden Boot is not easy to predict. 2014 saw an unlikely contender in Colombia's James Rodriguez walk away with the prize. Who will it be this time?

We look back at the top five players who won the World Cup Golden Boot.


#5 Ronaldo (Brazil): 8 goals in 2002

Soccer - FIFA World Cup 2002 - Final - Germany v Brazil
Ronaldo leaves a distraught Oliver Kahn in his wake in the 2002 World Cup final

In 1998, fingers were pointed at him when Brazil failed to defend their World Cup title in France. His fitness (or the lack of it) saw him struggle in the final as Les Bleus romped to a 3-0 win in Paris.

O Fenomeno had a point to prove in 2002 where the Selecao were once again favourites and he kicked things off with four goals in the first three group stage games.

But for a player such as Ronaldo, the group stage was just a warm-up for things to come. Teams such as Costa Rica and China were child's play for him before the heavyweights confronted him.

The Round of 16 saw him score yet again against Belgium before his scoring streak was finally halted by England in the quarter-final (Rivaldo and Ronaldinho saw to their progress though, remember 'Dinho lobbing Seaman?).

The semi-final was where Ronaldo was needed the most. With no way through for much of the game, one solitary moment of magic saw him receive the ball near the final third on the left, keep the ball away from four defenders before striking it past the goalkeeper to lead Brazil to a 1-0 win.

Ronaldo 2002 golden boot
Ronaldo won the Golden Boot in 2002 while compatriot Rivaldo won the Silver Boot

If the '98 final was about how Ronaldo failed to turn up, the final in 2002 was the ultimate Ronaldo final. He created the first goal by brushing Dietmar Hamann off the ball to allow Rivaldo to get a shot off.

Oliver Kahn spilled the ball, allowing Ronaldo - who had made the run forward - to mop up. The second goal saw Rivaldo return the favour by playing a dummy so Ronaldo could receive Kleberson's pass from the wing at the edge of the box before he fired it past Kahn yet again for the second time in 12 minutes.

Ronaldo finished the tournament with 8 goals in all to pick up the Golden Boot.

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#4 Eusebio (Portugal): 9 goals in 1966

Soccer - World Cup England 1966 - Portugal Training
Eusebio - The Black Panther

Although Portugal won Euro 2016, they have never really had luck in international tournaments. However, it was 1966 when the Iberian side had their best ever finish in a World Cup when they finished third.

And it was all thanks to one man - Eusebio. The original Black Panther with a hammer for a right foot.

What makes his achievement so exceptional is that he only scored three goals in the group stages. He did not score in the opener against Hungary when Portugal won 3-1. He managed to score once in the 3-0 win over Bulgaria and then grabbed a memorable brace in the 3-1 win over Brazil.

The quarter-final was where he exploded into life. The game against North Korea was where he truly made his mark in the World Cup. Despite scoring twice in the first half, it was the Koreans who led 3-2 at the break.

Eusebio then managed to score two more goals as Portugal eventually qualified for the semi-final with a 5-3 win. No other match in the tournament had seen so many goals.

"Without doubt, Eusebio was one of the finest players I ever had the privilege to play against." - Sir Bobby Charlton

Although he did score in the semi-final against England, it was the Three Lions that eventually ended Portugal's hopes with a 2-1 win. Nevertheless, Eusebio walked away with the Golden Boot for his 9 goals - 3 goals ahead of the next contender Helmut Haller (West Germany) who had reached the final.

"In my opinion, Eusebio will always be the greatest player of all time." - Alfredo Di Stefano

Also read: 50 Greatest Players in World Cup History - #34 Eusébio

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#3 Gerd Muller (West Germany): 10 goals in 1970

Gerd Muller FIFA World Cup Golden Boot
Gerd Muller grabbed two hat-tricks in the 1970 World Cup and a brace against Italy

The edition 1970 saw West Germany fail to qualify for the final but it saw a German finish as the top goalscorer. By the time their campaign was wrapped up, Gerd Muller had scored nearly 60% of their goals in the tournament.

He was the ultimate striker and a clinical finisher in the box. Having first scored the winner in the first group game against Morocco in a 2-1 win, Muller raced to the top of the goalscoring charts with a hat-trick against Bulgaria in a 5-2 win.

He didn't stop there though. With qualification almost secure and West Germany tied on points with Peru, Muller came to the party again with yet another hat-trick with all three goals coming in the first 39 minutes.

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Der Bomber was simply unstoppable in the knockout stages as well. He first broke England's hearts when he scored an extra-time winner in a 3-2 win in the quarter-finals. However, West Germany were put to the sword in the semi-final by Italy.

"Everything we achieved we owe only to Gerd. Without his goals none of our successes would have been possible." - Franz Beckenbauer

In a match that went into extra-time, Muller equalised twice - once in each period - only to see the Azzurri eventually come away with a 4-3 win.

Although the Germans went home with a consolation third place, Muller went home with the Golden Boot for his 10 goals - three more than Brazil's Jairzinho in second place.

#2 Sandor Kocsis (Hungary): 11 goals in 1954

Sandor Kocsis
Sandor Kocsis (L) of Hungary

Sandor Kocsis was a dominant force in Hungarian football but wasn't all that great a striker when he moved to Barcelona. He wasn't even the greatest Hungarian player of his generation, what with Ferenc Puskás leading the Magnificent Magyars.

From 1950 to 1956, Hungary had 43 victories, 6 draws, and just 1 defeat. Unfortunately, that defeat came in the 1954 final - known in football folklore as The Miracle of Bern.

But the 1954 World Cup will go down as Hungary's greatest achievement in international football. No more a force in Europe, let alone the world, Hungary had their best chance to win the ultimate prize that year.

The signs were ominous right from the start when Hungary dominated the group stages. A unique format where seeded teams played unseeded teams, Hungary first beat South Korea 9-0 with Kocsis grabbing a hat-trick before he scored four in an 8-3 thrashing of West Germany.

Seven goals in just two games.

Kocsis then grabbed a brace as Hungary beat Brazil 4-2 in the quarter-final before he scored twice in extra-time in the semi-final to hand defending champions Uruguay their first ever loss in a World Cup.

The final is still considered one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history as West Germany came out on top with an unlikely 3-2 win - days after losing 8-3 to the same opponents! Hungary had 16 shots on target.

Nevertheless, Kocsis walked away with the Golden Boot for his 11 goals in five games - five more than any other player in the tournament.

#1 Just Fontaine (France): 13 goals in 1958

Just Fontaine France World Cup
Just Fontaine holds the record for most goals in a single World Cup tournament

For years after the 1958 World Cup, people asked three questions. What if Just Fontaine had played more World Cups for France had he not retired aged 28 due to recurring injuries?

Who would eventually break his record for most goals in World Cup history? And who would break his record for most goals in a tournament?

The second question was answered in 1974 when Gerd Muller eventually scored his 14th. But till date, nobody has scored more goals in a single tournament than Fontaine's 13 goals in Sweden in 1958.

To put that in perspective, that was seven goals more than a young Brazilian named Pele and West Germany's hero - Der Boss Helmut Rahn.

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The fact that he scored 13 goals after he borrowed a pair of boots from a teammate after his own had been damaged makes his story all that more legendary.

He kicked things off with a hat-trick against Paraguay in a 7-3 win, a brace against Yugoslavia in a 3-2 loss, and a solitary goal in the 2-1 win over Scotland.

Two more followed in the quarter-final against Northern Ireland in a 4-0 win but France missed out on a spot in the final when they were ousted in the semis by Brazil. Pele's hat-trick saw the Selecao win 5-2 with Fontaine scoring just once.

Just Fontaine France World Cup Golden Boot
Fontaine was awarded a Golden Boot trophy for his 1958 achievement before his 80th birthday

But he wasn't done yet. The third-place playoff saw France beat West Germany 6-3 with Fontaine scoring four times to top the goalscoring charts for good! What made his feat even more remarkable was that none of his goals came from the penalty spot.

13 goals in all - in just 6 games. It is a record that may stand the test of time.

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Edited by Raunak J