This study aims to outline the global performance and evaluate the current research hot spots and future trends in the water footprint. 1140 records between 2006-2023 retrieved from the Web of Science’s core database were analyzed. The performance of publications, categories, countries, institutes, research hot spots, and trends is analyzed using CiteSpace and VOSviewer tools. The research on water footprint is mainly in the fields of virtual water, water use efficiency, water scarcity, water pollution, etc. China, the USA, Iran, and New Zealand get higher rankings in paper output, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Northwest A&F University, and the University of Twente achieve a high ranking in this field. In addition, further studies in research frontiers have revealed that climate change, sustainable agriculture, and water conservation will become popular directions and trends in water footprint research. The article provides a visual overview of the current status of global water footprint research and predicts future research trends. While enriching the literature in this field, it also helps scholars to pay attention to the latest developments in water footprint.