Balogun, Havertz, Ayari Lead FIFA Golden Boot Race

Folarin Balogun, a 25-year-old striker for Monaco, has made history by becoming the first player to score multiple goals for the United States in a FIFA World Cup match since 1930, netting two goals in a 4-1 victory against Paraguay on June 14 at the Los Angeles Stadium. German forward Kai Havertz also scored a brace in Germany's emphatic 7-1 win over Curaçao in their group stage match in Houston.

Sweden's Yasin Ayari joined them in the early Golden Boot race by scoring two goals in Sweden's 5-1 victory over Tunisia. The Golden Boot criteria state that the award goes to the player who scores the most goals during the FIFA World Cup, with assists and minutes played serving as tiebreakers.

Currently, Balogun, Havertz, and Ayari each have two goals, with Balogun playing 77 minutes, while both Havertz and Ayari played 100 minutes.