Messi Leads Golden Boot Race in World Cup 2026

Lionel Messi, the captain of Argentina, has taken an early lead in the Golden Boot race for the FIFA World Cup 2026 by scoring a hat trick in Argentina's 3-0 victory against Algeria at Kansas City Stadium. This performance brings Messi's total to three goals in the tournament, placing him level with German legend Miroslav Klose for the most goals scored in World Cup history.

Other notable players in the race include Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, who have each scored two goals in their respective matches; Mbappé in France's 3-1 win against Senegal and Haaland in Norway's 4-1 victory over Iraq. Currently, Messi leads the tournament's top scorer list with three goals, followed by Folarin Balogun from the USA, Yasin Ayari from Sweden, and Kai Havertz from Germany, each with two goals.