Lionel Messi Leads 2026 World Cup Goal Scoring, with Vinícius Júnior, Mbappé, and Haaland Close Behind

Lionel Messi has been unstoppable for Argentina, netting all five of their goals in the tournament so far. His recent performance against Austria in the knockout round was especially memorable. After missing a penalty, Messi quickly made amends by placing a precise left-footed shot into the bottom-left corner, pushing him past Miroslav Klose to claim his 17th World Cup goal — a new record. Before the match ended, Messi added another goal, bringing his total to five and surpassing Brazil’s Marta for the most World Cup goals scored by any player, male or female, with 18.

Top Scorers in the 2026 World Cup

Messi holds a slight lead over Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé, and Erling Haaland, all tied with four goals each. Vinícius Jr. shined with two goals in the first half against Scotland and also added an assist during Brazil’s 3-0 win over Haiti, giving him an edge over Mbappé and Haaland at the moment.

Mbappé and Haaland have each scored twice in every group stage game they've played. Haaland, participating in his first World Cup, helped Norway reach the knockout rounds. Their upcoming Friday match will be a showdown that decides the winner of Group I.

An unexpected contender is Germany’s substitute, Deniz Undav. He scored twice recently, raising his total to three goals and contributing two assists as well.

Both Messi and Canada’s Jonathan David have recorded hat tricks in this tournament. Messi’s came in Argentina’s opening match against Algeria, while David's hat trick propelled Canada to its first-ever World Cup victory with a 6-0 win over Qatar.

We’ll keep watching the Golden Boot race as it unfolds, so check back here to see who stays on top.