World Cup 2026 Golden Boot Race: Mbappe Takes the Lead Over Messi
The battle for the World Cup 2026 golden boot is heating up as Kylian Mbappe edges past Lionel Messi at the top of the scorers’ list. After Erling Haaland’s late goal pushed Norway ahead of Ivory Coast and into the last 16, Mbappe’s recent performances have put him level with, and then just above, Messi.
Messi has dazzled throughout the tournament, delivering a hat-trick against Algeria and following it up with two goals against Austria, showing resilience even after missing a penalty. He also found the net coming off the bench versus Jordan. Yet Mbappe has matched that brilliance, scoring twice against Sweden to secure France’s 3-0 win and their spot in the knockout rounds. Those goals nudged him ahead of Messi in the standings, though they remain tied on total goals scored.
Erling Haaland remains a formidable contender, scoring his 13th consecutive international goal with a decisive strike in the 86th minute against Ivory Coast. That goal helped Norway advance and brought Haaland’s tally to five, just one shy of Mbappe and Messi.
Other notable players include Harry Kane, who scored with a header against Panama in England’s final group match, and Vinicius Jr., who impressed with two goals against Scotland. Ousmane Dembele threw his name into the mix with a remarkable hat-trick against Norway.
The ranking prioritizes goals first, then assists if players are tied. If there’s still no difference, the player with fewer minutes played and a better goals-per-minute ratio ranks higher.
