The first ever winter version of the tournament is set to feature some of the best strikers in the world
The festival of football is set to return this November and the bookies are already predicting which of the world's elite strikers is going to take home the golden boot. The biggest experts in world cup betting are making their predictions as anticipation continues to build ahead of World Cup 2022 in Qatar this winter.
Some of the most talented and prolific strikers in the world will be present at the World Cup representing nations like England, France, Brazil, Germany, Spain, Argentina and more. However, unfortunately for fans, some of the very best won't be present because their native countries failed to qualify. This is the case for the man of the moment - Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, whose beloved Norway failed to make it to the finals.
He's not the only one. Young Nigerian sensation Victor Osimhen misses out - something which likely pleases Napoli fans as they can keep him fresh for the rest of the season. The same is true for Liverpool stars Mohamed Salah, whose Egypt side lost to Senegal in their World Cup qualifying playoff, and Luis Diaz, whose Colombia finished 6th in South American qualifying and missed out on an intercontinental playoff spot.
Focusing on the great strikers which we will be blessed enough to see in Qatar here are the top three favourites to win the World Cup 2022 golden boot, according to the bookies. These odds and players are sure to change between now and the tournament, but with around two months to go until it all kicks off, here are the frontrunners.
*all odds from bet365 via Oddschecker
Harry Kane - England (7/1 favourite)
The three players on this list unsurprisingly come from the three favourites to win the tournament itself. England are currently third favourites, but their talismanic striker and captain Harry Kane is currently 7/1 favourite to become the first player in the 92 year history of the World Cup to win the golden boot in consecutive tournaments.
The Spurs man netted six goals at the 2018 edition in Russia to win the golden boot, and he will believe he can do the same. As the Three Lions continue to build momentum and produce better and better young players, Kane will be lurking in the box looking to get on the end of service from the likes of Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho and Jack Grealish. It's difficult to bet against the 29-year-old.
Kylian Mbappe - France (9/1)
The French sensation that is Kylian Mbappe is of course near the top of anybody's list for the World Cup 2022 golden boot. He burst onto the international scene at just 19-years-old at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, playing a huge role in capturing the World Cup trophy for his country. He's gone on to become one of, if not the best player in the world, and inarguably the most valuable.
After choosing to stay at PSG this summer and take part in a rebuild very much concentrated around himself, Mbappe will look to make his mark on the World Cup history books by winning the golden boot, as his countryman Just Fontaine did back at the 1958 edition in Sweden. France are second favourites to lift the trophy, and Mbappe is 9/1 second-favourite to take home the golden boot. Barring any dramatic injuries between now and November, those are some very tempting odds.
Neymar - Brazil (12/1)
Mbappe's PSG teammate Neymar Jr will no doubt be the focal point for his Brazil side. After receiving a fair amount of criticism during recent seasons for his performances for the French giants, Neymar has started the new season in blistering form. He currently tops the Ligue 1 goalscoring charts with 8 goals, one more than his teammate Mbappe, along with 7 assists to the Frenchman's 0.
Brazil are currently the bookies' favourites to win the Qatar World Cup, and they will need Neymar to be on form if they are going to live up to that backing. Fans will hope the enigmatic forward can become the sixth Brazilian to win the golden boot, and the first since the iconic Ronaldo did so at the 2002 edition in South Korea and Japan.
At 30-years-old, Neymar is by no means old, but Brazilians per capita tend to retire earlier than most, and having started his professional career very young, it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine that Neymar is entering the final years of his career. This may be one of his last chances to make history at a World Cup with Brazil. Can he win the golden boot? He has as good a chance as anyone, based on current form, and 12/1 is huge odds for a player of such quality.
Stick around for more news about the 2022 Qatar World Cup, and many other topics from the world of football.
