The race for the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot exploded into life as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland all produced outstanding performances on a high-scoring day for the tournament’s elite strikers.Between them, the trio have already set the competition on fire, combining for 13 goals and cementing themselves firmly at the heart of the tournament’s most watched individual battle.Messi and Mbappé scored twice for Argentina and France respectively, while Haaland responded in style hours later with a goal for Norway in a dramatic 3-2 win over Senegal on Monday night.Haaland’s double came in a scintillating 15 minutes after half-time as he made up for earlier missed chances — including a shot wide of the post and a header saved just before the break.Meanwhile, Messi continued to make history, becoming FIFA World CupAll-time top scorer with 18 goals after Argentina’s win over Austria in Arlington, Texas. The Argentina captain now leads the Golden Boot standings with five goals in just two games.Mbappé kept pace in the scoring charts after France’s 3-0 win over Iraq in Philadelphia, taking his tally to 16 and staying firmly in contention with the tournament’s long-standing elite.
Haaland’s rise adds a new dimension to the pursuit of the Golden Boot
While Messi and Mbappé have years of World Cup experience behind them, Haaland is just starting his campaign on football’s biggest stage, with Norway returning to the championship for the first time since 1998.Despite this, the 25-year-old striker has already scored four goals to extend his remarkable scoring streak to 12 consecutive competitive games for Norway, during which he has netted 24 times.Germany’s Deniz Undav and Canada’s Jonathan David, both with three goals, trail the leading three in the scorers’ rankings.
Top 10 goalscorers at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
| Rank | Players | Objectives |
| 1 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) | 5 |
| 2 | Kylian Mbappe (France) | 4 |
| 3 | Erling Haaland (Norway) | 4 |
| 4 | Deniz Undav (Germany) | 3 |
| 5 | Jonathan David (Canada) | 3 |
| 6 | Crysencio Summerville (Netherlands) | 2 |
| 7 | Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) | 2 |
| 8 | Maxi Araujo (Uruguay) | 2 |
| 9 | Ayase Ueda (Japan) | 2 |
| 10 | Cody Gakpo (Netherlands) | 2 |
