Messi Takes Lead in 2026 World Cup Golden Boot Race Over Mbappe and Haaland
Lionel Messi has reclaimed the top spot in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot race after a brief challenge from Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. Mbappe netted the only goal in a tense match between France and Paraguay, pushing his tally to seven goals across five games and matching Messi before Argentina faced Egypt in the round of 16.
Haaland also holds seven goals after scoring twice during Norway's landmark victory over Brazil. The Manchester City striker first headed in a goal with 12 minutes left, then sealed the win with a last-minute strike.
Messi responded with a dramatic equaliser as Argentina overcame a two-goal deficit to defeat Egypt in Atlanta. This goal extended Messi’s streak to scoring in every game this tournament and nine consecutive World Cup matches overall. He now trails Just Fontaine’s single-tournament record of 13 goals by only five.
Harry Kane is close behind with six goals after scoring a penalty that helped England, reduced to ten men, edge Mexico 3-2 at the Azteca. Kane also set a World Cup record with six successful penalties (not counting shootouts).
Current Top Scorers in the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot Race
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 8 goals
- Kylian Mbappe (France) – 7 goals
- Erling Haaland (Norway) – 7 goals
- Harry Kane (England) – 6 goals
- Ousmane Dembele (France), Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain), Jude Bellingham (England), Ismaila Sarr (Senegal), Julian Quinones (Mexico), Vinicius Junior (Brazil) – all with 4 goals each
