With some big names banging in goals for the 2026 World Cup, plenty focus dey on which star go walk away with the Golden Boot. Dat accolade don evade Arsenal player so far, but who come closest to win am for finals, and how many goals for this edition for any of our current crop go see dem jump to top of our all-time top World Cup scorers?
Here be complete list of players wey don score for competition during dia time for N5: Ten Gunners don net solitary goal for finals, with Marc Overmars holding honour of being our first scorer when he finish off sweeping counter-attack for 5-0 success for Netherlands against South Korea for group stage for World Cup 98. Four years later, Sol Campbell net for England against Freddie Ljungberg’s Sweden, wey grab im only World Cup strike for 2006 when he nod in late winner against Paraguay. A week later, Philippe Senderos also score for Germany, when he give Switzerland lead against South Korea.
Nicklas Bendtner find net for Denmark against Cameroon for South Africa for 2010, while for 2014 Olivier Giroud open scoring for 5-2 success for France against Switzerland. Later for dat tournament, Mesut Ozil net for 119th minute to seal 2-0 win against Algeria for last 16, en route to Germany lifting trophy. Only one Gunner find net for World Cup 2018 for Russia when Granit Xhaka blast in spectacular equaliser for Switzerland’s 2-1 win against Serbia, while Viktor Gyokeres’ goal for Sweden’s 5-1 mauling of Tunisia see am add im name to dis list, with potential for more.
Kai Havertz netting for both of Germany’s games against Curacao and Ivory Coast so far mean dat im don already shoot up our leaderboard, and few more goals for North America fit see am challenge for Golden Boot, as well as reach top of dis list. Two other Gunners don score twice for World Cup. Emmanuel Petit more dan play im part for helping France to dia first title when dem lift famous prize for home soil for 1998, drilling home winner for 2-1 against Denmark for group stage, and den tucking home Patrick Vieira pass to wrap up 3-0 success against Brazil for final. For 2002, despite never scoring for us, Junichi Inamoto find net twice for co-host Japan, firing in against Belgium for dia first game for tournament before bagging only goal of game to beat Russia for dia next game, helping dem reach knockout stages for first time.
Robin van Persie meanwhile be only Arsenal player to score for two different World Cup tournaments. Im blast in free-kick for group stage win over Ivory Coast for 2006, while four years later im score against Cameroon for Oranje’s run to final. Closest an Arsenal player don come to winning Golden Boot na back for 2006 when Thierry Henry dey for peak of im powers. Im score for back-to-back group games as France draw 1-1 against South Korea and beat Togo 2-0 to progress. Im den score only goal against Brazil for quarter-finals, sneaking in for back post to tuck in Zinedine Zidane free-kick, but as well as enduring disappointment for final against Italy, Miroslav Klose’s five goals take Golden Boot, with Henry one of eight players to strike three times.
Four years earlier, im north London strike partner Dennis Bergkamp also hit three goals for 1998 World Cup, netting for same Netherlands victory over South Korea as Overmars, making am only World Cup game for history where two different Arsenal players don net. Bergkamp’s goal for dat game be hidden gem, starting with im back to goal but wriggling away from two players before prodding into corner, but better come. After Iceman get on scoresheet against Yugoslavia for round of 16, im produce one of greatest goals for tournament’s history to clinch 90th-minute 2-1 success against Argentina, but finish three goals behind future Gunners teammate Davor Suker for race for Golden Boot.
A goal for Bukayo Saka for dis World Cup go see am become our all-time highest scorer for competition, after im exploits for Qatar for 2022. Im become first of our players to score World Cup brace when im find net twice for 6-2 victory over Iran on im tournament debut, courtesy of fierce shot from edge of box and trademark strike after cutting in off right. Den for round of 16, im clip low centre over Senegalese goalkeeper to move onto three for competition, but after Three Lions’ quarter-final exit to France, im no fit catch Kylian Mbappe for top of goalscoring charts, wey end up with eight.
