Power Ranking the World Cup Golden Boot Winners

Jon SainzApr 27, 2011

Since 1930 there have been a total of 19 FIFA World Cups and eight different countries have won the tournament. Brazil leads them with five wins, while the current champion, Spain, has only won one.

In all tournaments the top scorer has been awarded with the Golden Boot.

There have been more Golden Cup Winner than tournaments, because until recently only goals counted for this award.

Now if two or more players are tied, the one with more assists get the award and if they're still tied, the one who played less minutes wins it.

This is a ranking of all Golden Boot winners, they are ranked first by the position their team finished in in the tournament, then by goals and then by other criteria.

24) Oleg Salenko

1 of 25

Year: 1994

Host: United States

Winner: Brazil

National Team: Russia

Final Position: Eliminated in the Group Stage

Goals: 6

Notes: Only player to ever win the award playing for a team that didn't make it out of the group stage. His goals in the tournament were the only ones he ever scored for his national team.

23) Gary Lineker

2 of 25

Year: 1986

Host: Mexico

Winner: Argentina

National Team: England

Final Position: Eliminated in the Quarter finals (8th)

Goals: 6

22) Valentin Ivanov

3 of 25

Year: 1962

Host: Chile

Winner: Brazil

National Team: Soviet Union

Final Position: Eliminated in the Quarter Finals (6th)

Goals: 4

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21) Flórián Albert

4 of 25

Year: 1962

Host: Chile

Winner: Brazil

National Team: Hungary

Final Position: Eliminated in the Quarter Finals (5th)

Goals: 4

20) Dražan Jerković

5 of 25

Year: 1962

Host: Chile

Winner: Brazil

National Team: Yugoslavia

Final Position: 4th place

Goals: 4

19) Hristo Stoichkov

6 of 25

Year: 1994

Host: United States

Winner: Brazil

National Team: Bulgaria

Final Position: 4th place

Goals: 6

18) Leonel Sánchez

7 of 25

Year: 1962

Host: Chile

Winner: Brazil

National Team: Chile

Final Position: 3rd place

Goals: 4

17) Thomas Müller

8 of 25

Year: 2010

Host: South Africa

Winner: Spain

National Team: Germany

Final Position: 3rd place

Goals: 5

Notes: Tied for goals with Villa (Spain), Sneijder (Holland) and Forlan (Uruguay), Müller won the award on assists (3).

16) Miroslav Klose

9 of 25

Year: 2006

Host: Germany

Winner: Italy

National Team: Germany

Final Position: 3rd place

Goals: 5

15) Davor Šuker

10 of 25

Year: 1998

Host: France

Winner: France

National Team: Croatia

Final Position: 3rd place

Goals: 6

14) Salvatore Schillaci

11 of 25

Year: 1990

Host: Italy

Winner: West Germany

National Team: Italy

Final Position: 3rd place

Goals: 6

Notes: Schillaci also won the Best Player award.

13) Grzedorz Lato

12 of 25

Year: 1974

Host: West Germany

Winner: West Germany

National Team: Poland

Final Position: 3rd place

Goals: 7

Notes: This tournament marks the start of the current trophy as award.

12) Leônidas Da Silva

13 of 25

Year: 1938

Host: France

Winner: Italy

National Team: Brazil

Final Position: 3rd place

Goals: 7

Notes: Originally credited with eight goals, FIFA changed it to seven in 2006. Last World Cup before World War II. Also won Golden Ball (best player).