Women’s World Cup 2023 top scorers

The Golden Boot award for the top scorer is always a big deal at any international tournament, but never more so than the World Cup – the pinnacle of any player’s career.

The original version of the award at the Women’s World Cup was the Golden Shoe, rather than boot, and was presented from the inaugural tournament in 1991 until 2007. From 2011 onwards, it has been the Golden Boot, with 2023 the fourth World Cup under that name.

The second top scorer is presented with the Silver Boot, while third place get the Bronze Boot.

In the event of multiple players finishing on the same number of goals, assists is then used a tiebreaker. If the contenders are also level on assists, it will come to who has scored the most goals per minutes on the pitch – and therefore deemed to be the most efficient.

Goals: 1
Assists: 1
Minutes per goal: 136

Aoba Fujino is one of only two teenagers in a Japan squad that has made a fast start to the World Cup after disappointing in 2019.

Goals: 1
Assists: 1
Minutes per goal: 77

Jun Endo was one of the best players on the pitch when Japan thrashed Zambia, only to be rested for the next game against Costa Rica.

Goals: 1
Assists: 1
Minutes per goal: 64

Bayern Munich’s Klara Buhl is only 22, but this is already her third major tournament following on from the 2019 World Cup and Euro 2022.

Goals: 1
Assists: 3
Minutes per goal: 125

Although leading the line in the ‘number nine’ role for Japan, Mina Tanaka is actually racking up assists faster than goals.

Goals: 2
Assists: 0
Minutes per goal: 60

The diminutive midfielder is not typically a prolific goalscorer but took full advantage when Japan thrashed Zambia in their opening game.

Goals: 2
Assists: 0
Minutes per goal: 42

Alexandra Popp came into the World Cup recognised as one of the best forwards on the planet after a massive resurgence post-injury problems.

Goals: 2
Assists: 0
Minutes per goal: 36

Although a Spain international since 2018, Alba Redondo has seen her goalscoring at this level rapidly accelerate over the past 10 months alone.

Goals: 2
Assists: 1
Minutes per goal: 90

The Spain forward was forced to miss Euro 2022 because of injury but previously scored three times at the 2019 World Cup.

Goals: 2
Assists: 1
Minutes per goal: 45

Huge things are expected of Sophia Smith, who is ready to be the United States long-term star with Megan Rapinoe retiring and Alex Morgan now 34.

Goals: 3
Assists: 1
Minutes per goal: 25

At 23, Brazil’s Ary Borges scored a 70-minute hat-trick on her World Cup debut to immediately become a Golden Boot contender.

United States star Megan Rapinoe, who is retiring later this year, won the Golden Boot four years ago in 2019. She scored six goals in total as the Americans retained the trophy they had lifted in 2015.

Rapinoe scored her first in the opening 13-0 rout of Thailand in the group stage, netting the eighth of the game en-route to a record World Cup win. But she didn’t find the net again until the knockout stages, making her contribution hugely important to her team’s eventual success.

She scored twice from the penalty spot in a 2-1 win over Spain in the last 16, before another brace saw off hosts France by the same score-line in the quarter-finals. Her sixth and last goal came from the penalty spot in the final against Netherlands, setting up a 2-0 win.

Rapinoe actually finished level on six goals with both teammate Alex Morgan, who scored five of hers in the aforementioned Thailand game and got the winner in the semi-final with the other, and England’s Ellen White. But Rapinoe won the Golden Boot thanks to her three assists, which still left her level with Morgan, and fewer minutes played. White got no assists in more minutes played.

In addition to the Golden Boot, Rapinoe as won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.

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