World Cup: top scorers ranking after the first round

Messi, Mbappé, Haaland, and Kane – the giants of the game make their mark

Africa 18 June 2026 at 04:40

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World Cup: top scorers ranking after the first round

Mondial: le classement des meilleurs buteurs après la première journée

The first round of the 2026 World Cup has concluded. The opening stage was packed with goals, and the world's top strikers made their presence felt in spectacular fashion.

Lionel Messi stormed into the tournament, netting a hat-trick against Algeria. The Argentine legend now leads the scoring charts and has matched Klose's historic record with 16 World Cup goals – the most in tournament history.

Messi vs Algeria:

▪️ Became the all-time top scorer in World Cup history
▪️ Surpassed Ronaldo (R9), Gerd Müller, Pelé, and Mbappé in World Cup goals
▪️ Oldest Argentinian to score at a World Cup
▪️ Oldest player to score a brace in the tournament
▪️ Oldest player to score ... pic.twitter.com/rRV9igPanX
— 433 (@433) June 17, 2026

Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane all bagged a brace in their tournament debuts, announcing themselves as serious contenders.

🚨 Olivier Giroud 🇫🇷 believes Kylian Mbappé 🇫🇷 will break every record. 😁👇

"He now has 14 goals, just two behind Klose 🇩🇪 and Messi 🇦🇷, and he still has the chance to play another World Cup, unlike Messi, who I don’t think will play the next tournament.

So he has a great opportunity to... pic.twitter.com/zAMI1G7WOZ
— Actu Foot (@ActuFoot_) June 18, 2026

The race for the Golden Boot at this World Cup has kicked off at breakneck speed.

Top scorers after the first round

1. Lionel Messi (Argentina): 3 goals
2. Yasin Ayari (Sweden): 2 goals
2. Folarin Balogun (USA): 2 goals
2. Erling Haaland (Norway): 2 goals
2. Kai Havertz (Germany): 2 goals
2. Elijah Just (New Zealand): 2 goals
2. Harry Kane (England): 2 goals
2. Kylian Mbappé (France): 2 goals