The race for the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot has grown stronger as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland all put in impressive performances on the most successful day for the competition’s elite.Between them, the trio have already lit up the competition, combining for 13 goals and establishing themselves at the center of the competition’s most watched battle.Messi and Mbappé scored twice each for Argentina and France respectively, while Haaland responded hours later with a goal in Norway’s impressive 3-2 win over Senegal on Monday night.Haaland’s double came 15 minutes after half-time, when he made up for his missed chances – including a shot on the post and a header saved before the break.Messi, meanwhile, went on to rewrite history, becoming a leader FIFA World CupAll-time leading scorer with 18 goals after Argentina’s win over Austria in Arlington, Texas. The Argentina captain now leads the Golden Boot race with five goals in just two games.Mbappé kept the lead after France’s 3-0 victory over Iraq in Philadelphia, making it 16 and staying in the competition with the elite for a long time.
Haaland’s rise adds a new dimension to the Golden Boot chase
While Messi and Mbappé have years of World Cup behind them, Haaland is just starting his campaign on football’s biggest stage, with Norway returning to the tournament for the first time since 1998.Despite that, the 25-year-old has already scored four goals to take his tally to 12 in a row in the Norwegian competition, where he has scored 24 times.Germany’s Deniz Undav and Canada’s Jonathan David, both with three goals, round out the top three goalscorers.
Top 10 goalscorers at FIFA World Cup 2026
| Responsibility | 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 | Code Gakpo (Netherlands) | 2 |