World Cup 2026 / Golden Boot race: Messi leads the pack, three stars hot on his heels

The race for the Golden Boot at the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is shaping up to be more intense than ever. This coveted award is given to the player who scores the most goals during the tournament.

At the moment, it’s Argentina’s Lionel Messi who tops the scoring charts. At 39, the Albiceleste legend has already racked up five goals in just two matches at this World Cup.

The Argentine forward continues to write history. Thanks to his sensational performances, he has become the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 18 goals, surpassing the previous record held by Germany’s Miroslav Klose (16 goals).

Messi netted a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria before adding a brace against Austria (2-0).

Hot on his heels, the competition is fierce. Three players are currently tied for second place with four goals each: Brazil’s Vinicius Junior, France’s Kylian Mbappé, and Norway’s Erling Haaland.

World Cup 2026: top scorers’ standings

1- Lionel Messi (Argentina) — 5 goals

2- Vinicius Junior (Brazil) — 4 goals

3- Kylian Mbappé (France) — 4 goals

4- Erling Haaland (Norway) — 4 goals

5- Ismaël Saibari (Morocco) — 3 goals

6- Johan Manzambi (Switzerland) — 3 goals

7- Matheus Cunha (Brazil) — 3 goals

8- Deniz Undav (Germany) — 3 goals

9- Jonathan David (Canada) — 3 goals.

The race for the Golden Boot: Lionel Messi pulls clear with 5 goals in 2 matches

Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.

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