World Cup goal leaders: Lionel Messi leads Golden Boot race, but Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland are closing in

Key Points:

• Lionel Messi leads the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot race with five goals, surpassing Marta's record of 18 World Cup goals across men's and women's tournaments.
• Messi is one goal ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, who have each scored four goals, with Haaland set to face Mbappé in a key Group I match.
• Germany's Deniz Undav is a notable contender with three goals and two assists, while both Messi and Canada's Jonathan David have recorded hat tricks.
• Cristiano Ronaldo made history by scoring in his sixth World Cup, netting two goals against Uzbekistan, and England's Harry Kane tied Gary Lineker as the nation's top World Cup scorer.
• The Golden Boot race remains highly competitive, with multiple players contributing multi-goal performances as the tournament progresses into the knockout stages.