The race for the Golden Boot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup is beginning to take shape, with Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland emerging as the leading contenders after two matches each.
The trio are the only players to have scored multiple goals in every game they have played so far, setting the stage for a thrilling battle for the tournament’s top scorer award.
Messi currently tops the chart with five goals. The Argentina captain opened his campaign with a hat-trick in a 3-0 victory over Algeria before scoring a record-breaking brace in Monday’s 2-0 win against Austria, taking his tally to five goals.
Mbappe sits just behind on four goals after netting twice against Senegal and adding another brace against Iraq. The France forward also reached a historic milestone, becoming only the fourth player to score two or more goals in at least three consecutive FIFA World Cup appearances, joining Sándor Kocsis, Guillermo Stabile and Messi.
Haaland has matched Mbappe’s four-goal haul, scoring braces in Norway’s victories over Iraq and Senegal to keep pace in the Golden Boot race.
With Mbappe and Haaland set to face each other in their final group-stage match, the contest for both group supremacy and the tournament’s top scorer crown is expected to intensify.
As the World Cup progresses, all eyes will remain on Messi, Mbappe and Haaland as football’s biggest stars continue their quest for Golden Boot glory.
