Not Messi, Haaland Or Mbappe! Steven Gerrard Feels 26-Year-Old Star Will Win Golden Boot In FIFA World Cup 2026
Not Messi, Haaland Or Mbappe! Steven Gerrard Feels 26-Year-Old Star Will Win Golden Boot In FIFA World Cup 2026 Published By, Last Updated: June 12
Not Messi, Haaland Or Mbappe! Steven Gerrard Feels 26-Year-Old Star Will Win Golden Boot In FIFA World Cup 2026 Published By, Last Updated: June 12, 2026, 04:23 IST The 26-year-old forward scored four goals at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world today. Steven Gerrard makes his prediction for Golden Boot winner of FIFA World Cup 2026. (Picture Credit: AFP) England captain and legendary midfielder Steven Gerrard has shared his predictions for the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, which got underway with the opening match between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa at Mexico City Stadium on Thursday (June 11). According to Gerrard, one of the greatest midfielders in football history, 26-year-old Argentina forward JuliĂĄn Ălvarez will win the Golden Boot award at this yearâs tournament. Ălvarez, who played a key role in Argentinaâs FIFA World Cup triumph in 2022, has been in outstanding form.
During the 2025â26 season, he made 49 appearances for AtlĂ©tico Madrid across all competitions and scored 20 goals. At the FIFA World Cup, Ălvarez has scored four goals for the South American giants. In a video posted by TNT Sports on Instagram, Gerrard was asked to make several World Cup predictions. For the Golden Boot, he picked Ălvarez ahead of stars such as Kylian MbappĂ©, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Harry Kane. For the Golden Glove award, Gerrard selected Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano MartĂnez. MartĂnez won the same award at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Among his other predictions, Gerrard backed Messi to win the Golden Ball award, which is presented to the tournamentâs best player. The 39-year-old Argentine remains the only player in FIFA World Cup history to have won the Golden Ball twice, claiming the honour in 2014 and 2022.
A third triumph would be unprecedented. Gerrard also identified Spainâs teenage sensation Lamine Yamal as the breakout young star of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and predicted that France would lift the trophy. Les Bleus won their second World Cup title in 2018 and finished runners-up in the 2022 edition. They will once again rely on a star-studded squad featuring the likes of MbappĂ©, Ballon dâOr winner Ousmane DembĂ©lĂ©, Michael Olise, and DĂ©sirĂ© DouĂ©. Towards the end of the video, Gerrard was asked to name a player who could win the prestigious Ballon dâOr. He chose Harry Kane, believing the England captain has a strong chance of claiming the award. Kane enjoyed an exceptional 2025â26 season with Bayern Munich, and a successful World Cup campaign could help him become the first English player since Michael Owen in 2001 to win footballâs most prestigious individual honour.
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