Messi leads World Cup Golden Boot race with five goals as Mbappé closes in
Two weeks into the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Messi of Argentina leads the Golden Boot race with five goals across two games, including a hat-trick against Algeria and a brace against Austria. France's Kylian Mbappé and Norway's Erling Haaland trail with four goals each. Messi recently became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 18 career goals across six tournaments, surpassing Germany's Miroslav Klose. Mbappé moved to 16 career World Cup goals after scoring twice against Iraq, sitting second on the all-time list. England's Harry Kane and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, competing in his sixth World Cup, also remain in contention. The expanded 48-team format means teams reaching the semifinals will play eight matches, creating opportunities for historically high scoring totals. Just Fontaine's single-tournament record of 13 goals from 1958 now appears vulnerable.
Key facts
- Lionel Messi leads with 5 goals in the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot race through two games
- Messi holds all-time World Cup record with 18 career goals, surpassing Miroslav Klose
- Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland are tied second with 4 goals each
- Mbappé has 16 career World Cup goals, tied for second all-time
- Just Fontaine's single-tournament record of 13 goals set in 1958 is vulnerable to being broken
- Messi scored hat-trick vs Algeria, 2 goals vs Austria; Mbappé scored 4 goals across matches vs Senegal and Iraq
- Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo also competing for Golden Boot, with Ronaldo scoring in his sixth World Cup
Limits of this briefing
All data current as of June 24, 2026. Tournament standings and individual goal totals continue to change with each match. The Golden Boot outcome depends heavily on deep tournament runs, as finalists play additional knockout matches.
Sources
- Sky Sports: World Cup 2026 Golden Boot race: Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane in epic battle Centre
- ESPN: Messi, Haaland, Mbappé, Kane: Who will be the World Cup's top scorer? Centre
- France 24: All guns blazing as Messi, Mbappé and Haaland lead World Cup Golden Boot race Centre
- FOX Sports: 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot Race Tracker: Messi Leads, Ronaldo Joins The Party Centre
- Al Jazeera: World Cup 2026: Messi, Mbappe, Haaland contest best ever Golden Boot race? Centre