The Golden Boot is awarded to the player who scores the most goals in the tournament. If there are multiple players with the same number of goals, the tie is broken by assists, and if those are equal, by the lowest minutes played. Own goals do not count, nor do penalties scored in shootouts, but penalties in normal or extra time do.
Australia’s Sam Kerr is one of the favourites to win this year’s award, with the USA pair Sophia Smith and Alex Morgan also expected to feature high up. Other contenders are England’s Rachel Daly, Denmark’s Pernille Harder, Norway’s Ada Hegerberg, Germany’s Alexandra Popp and France’s Kadidiatou Diani.
The first Women’s World Cup – which was branded the “1st FIFA World Championship for Women’s Football for the M&M’s Cup” – took place in China in 1991 with the USA’s Michelle Akers winning the inaugural Golden Boot with 10 goals and no one has come close to that figure.
The most anyone has scored since is seven, by Sun Wen and Sissi (1999), Birgit Prinz (2003) and Marta (2007). In the last World Cup in 2019, three players scored six goals – Megan Rapinoe won the award having played fewer minutes than Morgan, who finished second. England’s Ellen White was third.
