Messi Leads World Cup Scoring, But Vinícius Júnior, Mbappé, and Haaland Stay Close
The 2026 World Cup is moving into the late stages of group play, and the top scorers are starting to pull ahead. Lionel Messi leads the Golden Boot race, having scored all five goals for Argentina in the tournament so far.
Messi Breaks Records with Argentina
During Argentina's recent win over Austria, Messi reclaimed first place in the scoring charts. After missing a penalty, he quickly made up for it by placing a precise left-footed shot into the bottom-left corner, surpassing Miroslav Klose's record with his 17th World Cup goal. Before the match ended, Messi scored once more, reaching 18 total World Cup goals and overtaking Brazil’s Marta for the highest number scored by any player in World Cup history, men's or women's.
Golden Boot Standings as of Tuesday Afternoon
Close Pursuit from Key Players
Messi’s lead is just one goal ahead of Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé, and Erling Haaland. Vinícius stood out with two first-half goals in Brazil’s match against Scotland, plus an assist from their earlier win over Haiti that gives him a slight advantage over Mbappé and Haaland. Both Mbappé and Haaland have scored twice in each group match. Haaland, in his first World Cup appearance, has helped Norway reach the knockout rounds. He will face Mbappé in Friday’s clash, which will decide the winner of Group I.
Surprise Contenders and Hat Tricks
Germany’s Deniz Undav has emerged as an unexpected threat. His two goals last Saturday boosted his tally to three, along with two assists. Both Messi and Canada’s Jonathan David have recorded hat tricks this tournament. Messi’s came in Argentina’s opener versus Algeria. David’s three goals helped Canada secure its first-ever World Cup victory with a 6-0 win over Qatar.
We think this race will stay exciting as the tournament continues. Bookmark this page to keep track of who’s leading the Golden Boot battle.
