Lionel Messi has taken the lead in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot race, reclaiming the top spot after being momentarily matched by Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
Mbappe netted the decisive goal in a tense clash between France and Paraguay, propelling Les Bleus into the tournament’s quarter-finals. The Real Madrid forward’s strike brought his tally to seven goals in five matches, drawing level with Messi before Argentina’s Round of 16 face-off with Egypt and raising his career total at the World Cup to 19 goals.
Meanwhile, Erling Haaland also reached seven goals after scoring twice in Norway’s historic victory over Brazil. The Manchester City striker first powered in a header with 12 minutes left on the clock and then sealed the win with another goal in the final minute of regulation time.
However, Messi once again pulled ahead with a stunning equaliser on Tuesday, as Argentina mounted a comeback from two goals down to defeat Egypt in Atlanta. The Inter Miami forward has found the net in every game of the tournament so far, extending his streak to nine consecutive World Cup matches. He now sits just five goals shy of the single-tournament record set by Just Fontaine in 1958, when the French legend scored 13 goals in only six appearances.
Harry Kane remains within touching distance of the leaders, trailing by only two goals after converting a penalty in England’s dramatic 3-2 win over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium. The Bayern Munich striker also extended his World Cup record for successful penalty kicks during regular play (excluding shootouts) to six.
Golden Boot Standings:
1. Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 8
=2. Kylian Mbappe (France) – 7
=2. Erling Haaland (Norway) – 7
4. Harry Kane (England) – 6
5. Ousmane Dembele (France), Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain), Jude Bellingham (England), Ismaila Sarr (Senegal), Julian Quinones (Mexico), Vinicius Junior (Brazil) – all on 4
World Cup Day 26 Recap – Ronaldo’s Farewell as Belgium Thrash USA
Portugal’s legend Cristiano Ronaldo bowed out of the World Cup as Belgium produced a commanding performance to overwhelm the United States, marking one of the standout results of the day.
