As the group stages conclude and the knockout rounds commence, Argentina’s captain Lionel Messi, France’s captain Kylian Mbappé, and Norway’s striker Erling Haaland lead the race for the Golden Boot.
News Summary
Prepared after editorial review.
- In the FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot race, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé lead jointly with 6 goals each.
- France captain Mbappé advanced to the top of the top scorers list by adding two goals against Sweden in the knockout stage.
- Argentina’s captain Messi has the opportunity to increase his tally against Cape Verde, while Norway’s Haaland continues his high-level performance.
July 1, Kathmandu — Which team will emerge victorious in the FIFA World Cup 2026? Which team is showcasing the best performance? And who will finish as the top goal scorer? These questions have captivated fans worldwide.
The player with the most goals in the tournament receives the Golden Boot award, which this year is fiercely contested among some of the tournament’s brightest stars.
As the group stage ends and the knockout phase begins, Argentina’s captain Lionel Messi, France’s captain Kylian Mbappé, and Norway’s striker Erling Haaland stand out as leading contenders for the Golden Boot.
On Wednesday morning, Mbappé scored two goals while Haaland added one, keeping these three players at the forefront of the race.
In France’s 3-0 win over Sweden, Mbappé’s two goals brought his total to six, leveling with Messi. Alongside two assists, Mbappé currently tops the highest goal scorers list.
Mbappé has scored two goals each in three matches this tournament, netting twice against Senegal and Iraq, while failing to score against Norway. In the knockout stage, he added another two goals against Sweden.
Haaland has scored six goals in this World Cup, bringing his total World Cup career tally to 18 goals in 18 games. He trails only Lionel Messi, the all-time World Cup top scorer with 19 goals, by a single goal.
Mbappé secured the Golden Boot at the 2022 Qatar World Cup with eight goals. If he wins the award again this year, he will become the first player to claim the Golden Boot twice.
Messi scored six goals during the group stage and still has knockout matches ahead. He opened with a hat-trick against Algeria, scored two goals against Austria, and added one against Jordan.
Argentina will face Cape Verde in the Round of 32, where Messi could increase his goal count further.
Norway’s goal machine Haaland, playing in his first World Cup, continues his strong goal-scoring form reminiscent of his club career. So far, he has netted five goals in three matches.
He scored twice each against Iraq and Senegal. Alongside Mbappé and Messi, Haaland has consistently found the net. He also played against France in the group stage. In the knockout round, Haaland scored the decisive goal in Norway’s 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast.
This victory marked Norway’s advance from the group stage and their first World Cup win in 28 years, with Haaland making the difference in their opening knockout match.
Behind these three frontrunners are France’s Ousmane Dembélé and Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior, each with four goals. Dembélé recorded a hat-trick against Norway in the group stage’s final game, while Vinícius has scored in all three of Brazil’s matches, including a crucial equalizer against Morocco by narrowing the deficit to one goal, as well as goals against Haiti and two against Scotland.
England’s captain Harry Kane, considered an early favorite for the Golden Boot, has scored three goals so far. He netted twice against Croatia and once against Panama, but England were held to a goalless draw by Ghana.
