World Cup 2026: Top scorers after the opening matchday

Several players have already made their mark in the race for the Golden Boot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which kicked off with an attacking spectacle as 75 goals were scored across the matches played in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Messi makes a thunderous start

The opening matchday of the World Cup was highlighted by a dazzling performance from Lionel Messi. The Argentine captain bagged a hat-trick in the Albiceleste's 3-0 win over Algeria, taking sole possession of the top spot in the tournament's scoring charts.

With this high-level display, the Argentine legend sent a powerful message to his rivals and reaffirmed Argentina’s ambitions as defending champions in this 2026 World Cup edition.

Thanks to his three strikes against the Fennecs, Messi continues to write history. With 16 goals now scored in World Cup finals, he has joined Germany’s Miroslav Klose at the top of the all-time World Cup scorers’ list.

2026 World Cup top scorers standings

After the first round of matches, the leading goal scorers in the tournament are as follows:

1. Lionel Messi (Argentina): 3 goals

2. Folarin Balogun (United States): 2 goals

3. Yassine Ayari (Sweden): 2 goals

4. Kai Havertz (Germany): 2 goals

5. Elijah Just (New Zealand): 2 goals

6. Erling Haaland (Norway): 2 goals

7. Kylian Mbappé (France): 2 goals

8. Harry Kane (England): 2 goals

World Cup 2026: African teams' results after the first round

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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