Lionel Messi’s quest for a historic back-to-back championship with Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes amid an epic Golden Boot race.
Inter Miami CF’s legendary No. 10 is neck-and-neck with fellow superstars Kylian Mbappé (France), Erling Haaland (Norway) and Harry Kane (England) for top goalscoring honors, adding even more intrigue to this summer’s tournament.
Here’s how the chase for the World Cup Golden Boot stands before Messi and Argentina take on Egypt in the Round of 16 on Tuesday (12 pm ET | FOX, Telemundo, Peacock).
Note: FIFA uses the following tiebreakers to determine the Golden Boot winner:
- Most assists
- Fewest minutes played
1. Kylian Mbappé (France) - 7 goals, 2 assists, 482 minutes
Mbappé has been electric for France, scoring a pair of braces in the Group Stage and adding another two goals in their 3-0 rout of Sweden in the Round of 32 before scoring the lone penalty-kick goal in a 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the Round of 16.
A 2018 champion with Les Bleus, Mbappé is up to 19 career World Cup goals – one shy of Messi for the all-time record.
2. Lionel Messi (Argentina) - 7 goals, 0 assists, 361 minutes
Messi is enjoying a historic World Cup at age 39, becoming the tournament’s all-time leading scorer (20 goals) while finding the back of the net for a record eight consecutive games – dating back to Argentina’s run to the 2022 title in Qatar.
He started with a hat trick vs. Algeria and has also found the net vs. Austria, Jordan and Cape Verde (Round of 32).
This comes after Messi reached the MLS season pause with a league-best 20 goal contributions (12g/8a) for Miami. He's chasing a third straight Landon Donovan MLS MVP award.
3. Erling Haaland (Norway) - 7 goals, 0 assists, 416 minutes
Already a global star with Manchester City, Haaland has become a household name in the United States this summer thanks to his magnetic personality and goal-scoring prowess.
Both were on full display during Norway’s 2-1 win over Brazil in the Round of 16, with Haaland scoring a stunning brace and leading the country’s Viking Row celebration after their historic knockout-stage victory.
4. Harry Kane (England) - 6 goals, 1 assist, 489 minutes
England’s all-time leading scorer, Kane has kept the goals coming for the Three Lions this summer.
The Bayern Munich striker has scored in four of his five starts, producing a vital 1g/1a as England edged co-hosts Mexico in an epic 3-2 Round of 16 victory.
