Paul Merson Forecasts Golden Ball, Golden Boot Winners and Dark Horses for the 2026 World Cup

Arsenal legend Paul Merson has made his predictions for the Golden Ball and Golden Boot awards at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

He also identified Colombia and Mexico as the tournament’s dark horses.

In a column for Sportskeeda, Merson backed France captain Kylian Mbappé for the Golden Ball and England captain Harry Kane for the Golden Boot.

“Golden Ball – Kylian Mbappé (France).
Kylian Mbappé is an obvious choice. He should score lots of goals and go deep in the tournament,” Merson said.

“Golden Boot – Harry Kane (England).
It’s between Kane and Mbappé for me. I would like to believe it’s the England captain.”

“Dark Horses – Colombia and Mexico.
Colombia can surprise a lot of people. They are a decent team. The humidity will make a massive difference in this tournament, and they have players who are suited to these conditions.
I also fancy Mexico. I know they haven’t had to qualify because they are one of the hosts, but they produced some big results in recent times.”