Lionel Messi leads the World Cup 2026 Golden Boot race after scoring the first hat-trick of this summer's expanded tournament. The Argentina captain, despite leading his nation to glory in 2022, has never claimed the top scorer award in five previous attempts, narrowly losing to Kylian Mbappe in Qatar.
However, the 38-year-old has made a fine start this time, netting all three goals in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria on Tuesday, drawing level with Miroslav Klose in the all-time World Cup top scorer list.
Even at this early stage, the Golden Boot race is heating up. Mbappe scored twice in France's 3-1 win over Senegal, while Erling Haaland did the same on his World Cup debut as Norway beat Iraq. Arsenal's Kai Havertz and Brighton's Yasin Ayari also netted braces in their respective opening games, as did Elijah Just and former Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun, who made history for the United States.
Vinicius Junior, Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres, Jamal Musiala, Bradley Barcola, and Amad Diallo are among those on one goal, eager to climb the standings as the tournament continues.
Remaining contenders such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Antoine Semenyo, and Harry Kane will have their chance to respond on Wednesday. So far, 62 goals have been scored at the 2026 World Cup, five of which have been own goals.
World Cup 2026 Golden Boot Standings
| Position | Player | Nation | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 3 | 0 |
| =2 | Kylian Mbappe | France | 2 | 0 |
| =2 | Erling Haaland | Norway | 2 | 0 |
| =2 | Kai Havertz | Germany | 2 | 0 |
| =2 | Yasin Ayari | Sweden | 2 | 0 |
| =2 | Elijah Just | Australia | 2 | 0 |
| =2 | Folarin Balogun | USA | 2 | 0 |
Table correct as of June 17, 2026
