Six days to go: 6️⃣ Golden Boot contenders at the Women's World Cup | OneFootball

We all want to know who will win the World Cup but we also all want to know who will win it for their country. Here are six contenders for the Golden Boot at this summer’s Women’s World Cup.

See all of our Women’s World Cup preview content right here.

🇦🇺 Sam Kerr

Captaining the co-hosts and widely recognised as the world’s leading striker, everything seems to be set for Sam Kerr to steal the limelight.

The Chelsea forward is as powerful and clinical as forwards come, with her devastating movement leaving defenders without a moment’s rest.

In the likes of Caitlin Foord and Hayley Raso, Kerr has a superb supporting cast to take attention away from her and provide her with opportunities, not to mention Steph Catley’s dead ball delivery for one of the biggest aerial threats in the game.

Kerr can score any type of goal and with the home crowd cheering the Matildas on, the striker will be expected to deliver.

🇺🇸 Sophia Smith

The rising star of the USWNT, nobody has as many NWSL goals as Smith this year and only Alex Morgan scored more in 2023.

Needless to say, Smith’s form for Portland Thorns has the world taking notice.

A huge threat with her pace in behind and her ability to take defenders on, she can threaten the box from out wide just as well as when she’s playing through the middle. The forward may not be the most threatening in the air but she makes up for it in other areas and already has 12 international goals to her name at 22.

🇩🇪 Alexandra Popp

Germany captain, Popp is the archetypal number nine. Strong, selfless with her work-rate, superb aerially, the striker’s 62 international goals come as no surprise.

She only scored once at the 2015 tournament and twice in 2019, with her best tournament to date arriving at last summer’s Euros, when she netted six times before injury ruled her out of the final.

There’s something to make up for, then, as well as the quality to do so.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Alessia Russo / Rachel Daly

Maybe we should throw Bethany England in here too. It’s not entirely clear who will start for England and the place could change hands if someone starts the tournament quickly from the bench.

With Ellen White retired, it will likely be one of Russo and Daly handed the opportunity and with Beth Mead injured, the onus will be on whoever is up front to contribute heavily.

Daly played at left-back at the Euros last summer but scored 22 goals in 22 WSL appearances in her favoured position as a centre-forward for Aston Villa in 2022/23, while Russo has joined Arsenal this summer and will be keen to make a mark after settling for a role from the bench (and netting four goals) 12 months ago.

🇿🇲 Barbra Banda

Yep, Zambia’s Barbra Banda. Most won’t expect Zambia to go far but that doesn’t have to be true and it won’t necessarily stop Banda even if it is.

The striker scored back-to-back hat-tricks (against China and the Netherlands) at the Olympics in 2021, becoming the first player to ever do so at an Olympic games.

She netted twice as Zambia stunned Germany in a 3-2 win last week too and now has 28 goals in 37 international appearances. Zambia face Spain, Costa Rica and Japan in the group stage and will fancy causing a shock and reaching the knockout rounds. If they do, Banda will be at the heart of it.

See all of our Women’s World Cup preview content right here.