Messi leads, Mbappé lurks and Haaland is closing in: the Golden Boot race has never been this good
Messi has 7 goals and leads the Golden Boot race at the 2026 World Cup. Mbappé, Kane and Haaland are right behind him. Fontaine's all-time record looms on the horizon.
Seven goals. That is the number that has put Lionel Messi back at the top of the 2026 World Cup scoring charts — and the race for the Golden Boot is turning into a spectacle all of its own.
The goal he scored in Argentina's victory over Cape Verde was enough for the Argentine superstar to open up a lead over Kylian Mbappé, who remains right on his heels. Harry Kane and Erling Haaland complete a quartet that is turning the World Cup into a private duel between giants.
And the historical milestones? They are falling one after another. Messi and Mbappé have already overtaken Miroslav Klose in the all-time World Cup scoring rankings. Kane has left Gary Lineker behind as England's all-time leading scorer at World Cups. Haaland, in just two matches, has already become the highest-scoring Norwegian in the competition's history.
The collective target is an ambitious one: the record of 13 goals in a single tournament, held by Just Fontaine since 1958. Only three players in history have reached double figures at a single World Cup — and none of them played in the modern era.
In Golmetria's model, Argentina remain one of the favourites for the title, with a 20.61% chance of lifting the trophy. France come in at 11.39%. Two countries, one superstar each — and both fighting for the same individual prize.
If Messi keeps up this pace, the 2026 World Cup could deliver not only a sixth Argentine world title, but also the greatest individual scoring haul in the tournament's history. The stage is set. All that is missing is the final act.