2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup: Alex Morgan Favored to Win Golden Boot

Updated: April 2, 2020 at 9:22 am EDT

Published: May 30, 2019

Alex Morgan is set to lead the Americans' attack when the USWNT look to defend their WWC title in France this summer. Photo by Jamie Smed (Flickr).

Team USA’s Alex Morgan is the +600 favorite to win the 2019 Women’s World Cup Golden Boot Award as top goalscorer
Australia’s Sam Kerr is a close second at odds of +650
Five of the top ten favorites come from either USA or France

The 2019 Women’s World Cup in France is quickly approaching on Friday, June 7, 2019. Team USA are favorites to lift the trophy, and American striker Alex Morgan is also favored to win the Women’s World Cup Top Goalscorer Award.

Like any tournament, when betting a player to win an end-of-tournament award, it’s important to plot out how far you think the teams your players are on will progress.

2019 Women’s World Cup Odds

Player	Team	Women’s World Cup Top Scorer Odds
Alex Morgan	USA	+600
Sam Kerr	AUS	+650
Eugenie Le Sommer	FRA	+700
Valerie Gauvin	FRA	+800
Carli Lloyd	USA	+900
Vivianne Miedema	NETH	+900
Alexandra Popp	GER	+1000
Megan Rapinoe	USA	+1000
Beatriz	BRA	+1200
Nikita Parris	ENG	+1200
Beth Mead	ENG	+1400
Ellen White	ENG	+1400
Kadidiatou Diani	FRA	+1400
Lieke Martens	NETH	+1400
Jennifer Hermoso	ESP	+1600

Odds taken May 30, 2019.

Likely one of the best-known women’s soccer players in the world, Alex Morgan, is the oddsmakers’ choice for top goalscorer this summer. Morgan has odds of +600 to win the award, while the USWNT are +300 favorites to win the tournament outright.

Thus, Morgan has to be strongly considered to win the Golden Boot. Team USA are massive -1000 favorites to win Group F. In Chile and Thailand, they’ll play two group stage matches against teams ranked 34th and 39th respectively.

When you win CONCACAF Women’s Player of the year 😄
Alex Morgan wins this award for being the best women’s player in North America in 2018.
Well deserved Alex, keep inspiring our young girls👏🏽🌊🍾🇺🇸#USWNT #Concacaf #ConcacafAwards #wavyfooty pic.twitter.com/jbFiUfqwBA

— WF (@old_wf) January 15, 2019

In CONCACAF qualifying, USA blew through weaker opposition going 5-0-0, with a 26-0 goal-difference. In the final group stage, Morgan scored four goals to tie with Canada’s Jordyn Huitema and Adriana Leon as leading scorers. Morgan added three more over the semis and finals to finish qualifying with seven goals, one of which was a penalty.

If she maintains penalty kick duties that will go a long way to winning top goalscorer.

Morgan’s teammates, Tobin Heath (4 goals), Carli Lloyd (3), and Megan Rapinoe (3), were also strong through qualifying. Lloyd and Rapinoe are among the top eight favorites, while Heath is tied in 15th odds of +1600.

Les Bleus Will Score Plenty

France didn’t need to qualify as hosts of the tournament, but have been on a tear in warm-up competitions. They’ve lost just once, with a 12-0-1 record in their past 13 matches. They’ve outscored opponents 46-4. Their Group A opponents include Norway, South Korea and Nigeria.

France have lost just once, with a 12-0-1 record in their past 13 matches. They’ve outscored opponents 46-4.

France defeated Nigeria 8-0 in April of last year in a friendly match, which saw Valerie Gauvin score a hat-trick, as well as Eugenie Le Sommer score once.

In 2017 they drew Norway 1-1 at home in a friendly. During the 2015 World Cup they defeated Korea 3-0 in the round of 16.

FT: France 8-0 Nigeria

Valérie Gauvin scored a hat-trick as France thrashed African champions #Nigeria 8-0 in a friendly in Le Mans.

The 2019 World Cup hosts too ‘fast & furious’ for hapless Super Falcons.

Nigeria’s heaviest defeats 8-0 v Germany (95), Norway (2010) & France😢 pic.twitter.com/Ys9zzkJ5R2

— Oluwashina Okeleji (@oluwashina) April 6, 2018

Though Le Sommer has the shortest odds among French players, I believe Valerie Gauvin of Montpellier would be your best bet. In six friendlies in 2019, she’s tallied four goals. She’s also lined up as the lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation in each of their past four matches.

She, or Kadidiatou Diani, who has five goals in 2019, would offer more betting value for top goalscorer.

Don’t Discount Kerr

Australia have never progressed past the quarterfinals, so the Matildas may be seen as an outsider to make a deep run. However, they are seventh-favorites at odds of +1400.

But if the Aussies make a run, it will no doubt have much to do with Kerr. The 25-year-old leads the NWSL with six goals in six matches this year with the Chicago Red Stars. She also plays in Australia’s W-League.

Australia’s Sam Kerr is the all-time leading scorer in both the NWSL and W-League.

No matter the league, she’s hit double-digit goals in each of the past five seasons. Last year she tallied 16 goals in 20 matches for Chicago. That again led the league. In fact, she is the all-time leading scorer in both the NWSL and W-League..

Get to know 2018’s Young Australian of the Year and ESPN’s Footballer of the Year below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U9dwpjQPjE

Can an Outsider Win the Golden Boot?

For all the scoring Germany did throughout qualifying (they had 38 goals in eight matches), only Alexandra Popp comes in within the top 15 betting favorites. The next German listed is Lea Schüller at odds of +2000. Each player had six goals during Germany’s qualifying campaign.

Schüller was the Frauen Bundesliga’s third top scorer with 14 goals this season, while Popp had 13.

Both Alexandra Popp and Lea Schüller had six goals during Germany’s qualifying campaign.

The Germans have rotated their lineup in 2019’s friendlies, with each getting a chance to play as a lone striker. Over three matches this year they both have scored once.

Another team with high expectations is England. Three of their players are offered at odds within the top 12 favorites. Each of Nikita Parris, Beth Mead and Ellen White play in the England Women’s Super League.

🇫🇷➡ – Parris to Lyon!

The WSL's all-time top scorer Nikita Parris talks to @SportswomenSky about her move from Manchester City to Lyon, who have just won their fourth @UWCL in a row. 🏆🏆🏆🏆

Read the full story here: https://t.co/IjuXySzxZy pic.twitter.com/xeGekVrNUL

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 21, 2019

Parris was the league’s second-leading scorer with 19 goals for Man City this year. Chelsea’s Fran Kirby had nine goals, good for eighth. She’s offered at slightly longer odds than her teammates at +1800.

Paris was also the top scorer for England during qualifying with six of England’s 29 goals. The scoring has been spread out during 2019 matches thus far for England though, with seven players contributing to their 11 goals.

Inside a group featuring Argentina who have never won a World Cup match, as well as Scotland, whom England defeated 6-0 in their last meeting, several Lionesses could be finding the back of the net often in the group stage.

16 – Ángela Sosa is the player to have provided most assists in #LigaIberdrola this season & only Jennifer Hermoso (31) has been involved in more goals than the Sevillean in the competition (26: 10 goals + 16 assists). Out pic.twitter.com/KzkleuYLui

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) May 20, 2019

If you’re high on Spain, then Jennifer Hermoso is your girl. She was second in European qualifying scoring overall with seven goals. She also lead Spain’s Primera División Femenina with 24 goals for Atlético Madrid this year.

Past WWC Golden Boot Winners

Year	Player	Team	Goals
2015	Célia Šašić	Germany	6
2011	Homare Sawa	Japan	5
2007	Marta	Brazil	7
2003	Birgit Prinz	Germany	7
1999	Sun Wen/Sissi	China/Brazil	7
1995	Ann Kristin Aarønes	Norway	6
1991	Michelle Akers	USA	10

2015’s Golden Boot winner Célia Šašić has since retired, though runner-up Carli Lloyd is still considered a strong contender from USA. She actually tied Šašić with six goals in 2015 but lost on the tie-breaker. Anja Mittag of Germany, was 2015’s third place finisher but did not make the squad this time around.

Best Bets for Women’s World Cup Top Goalscorer

Morgan scored 18 goals in 19 matches in 2018. It earned her USWNT Player of the Year honors. In April she scored her 100th international goal with USA. Odds of +600 for the best player on the best team isn’t too bad. The only concern would be the potential for a possible upset loss to France in the quarterfinals.

In which case I see Gauvin as the best value from the French. If you bet both, at least one should still be playing in the semifinal round.

1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ goals and counting!@alexmorgan13's USWNT teammates explain what makes her such a lethal striker. 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/vqOkQvvdXp

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) April 5, 2019

If you want to avoid that potential matchup entirely, make a bet on Parris. If England can top Group D, they should be favorites in the following two rounds of the knockout.

And finally, because I feel Netherlands could make some noise and would be playing on the opposite side of the bracket from each of the above mentioned three teams should they finish first or second in Group E, let’s consider a couple women from Le Oranje.

Vivianne Miedema (+900) and Lieke Martens (+1400) are worth a look. Miedema was the England Super League’s leading scorer with 22 for Arsenal this season. She had five goals during Netherlands’ group stage qualifying and two more in the playoff round finals.

Martens had 11 goals for Barcelona this season and was named Best Player of the Tournament with the Golden Ball Award in the 2017 European Championships.

In six 2019 matches, Miedema has four goals and Martens two.

Best Bets: Alex Morgan, Valerie Gauvin, Nikita Parris, Vivianne Miedema

Additional 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup Coverage

Ryan Metivier

Sports Editor

Ryan is SBD's resident soccer pro, though his repertoire is by no means limited to a single sport. His articles have been published by the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the Kitchener Rangers, and outlets like SportsXpress and Shredthespread.com

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