FIFA World Cup 2026: Stars sparkle early as Messi and Mbappe light up the tournament

Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective. First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming. Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day. Science For All The weekly newsletter from science writers takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in! Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers THEdge At the cutting edge of education and careers Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there Gender Agenda Stories from beyond the binary. The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features. Published - June 23, 2026 01:18 pm IST - ATLANTA Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring the second goal in the Group J match against Austria on June 23, 2026. | Photo Credit: Reuters In an expanded World Cup intended to spread the soccer spotlight wider than ever, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe have already delivered the star power FIFA, broadcasters and the American audience crave, with Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal playing compelling supporting roles. Also read | Lionel Messi at FIFA World Cups: A visual story of his goals If there is one thing the U.S. loves, it is the gravitational pull of a superstar, with the American Dream built on the premise that an individual, armed with talent and charisma, can climb above the rest and carry the whole show. Messi has risen to the challenge in style to become the all-time World Cup record scorer, two games into the tournament. The almost 39-year-old netted a hat-trick in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria and picked up where he left off on Monday (June 23, 2026), when even a penalty miss failed to dim the sense that he is intent on enjoying what is almost certainly his last World Cup. Messi again scored both Argentina's goals in the 2-0 victory over Austria to take his tally to 18, and France's Mbappe is closing in fast. Mbappe netted twice when France beat Senegal 3-1 and two more in Monday's (June 22, 2026) 3-0 win over Iraq to sit two goals behind Messi on the all-time list. After a difficult season, the 27-year-old Real Madrid forward is back playing with a smile on his face and a real spring in his step. Spain struggled without Yamal in the scoreless draw against Cape Verde, but on Sunday (June 21, 2026) the 18-year-old started his first game in two months and the sense of anticipation was palpable inside Atlanta Stadium. The crowd were on their feet as Yamal netted the opening goal to inspire Spain in a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia. Spain's job was done by halftime, allowing them to replace Yamal, who played with the abandon of someone who does not feel the weight of a nation's expectations on his young shoulders. Messi made his World Cup debut in 2006, and 20 years later, wearing the same number 19 jersey, Yamal appears ready to inherit the mantle. Norway's Haaland has shaken off the pressure to perform in his first World Cup with four goals in two games. Haaland netted a double in the 4-1 win over Iraq and repeated the trick in Monday's (June 22, 2026) 3-2 victory against Senegal. Haaland and Mbappe will face off on Friday (June 26, 2026) when Norway and France battle for Group I supremacy, and the prolific forwards will continue their fight to rule the scoring charts. Kane's two goals against Croatia took him level with Gary Lineker on 10 World Cup goals for England, and the Golden Boot race is already a thrilling sideshow. Mbappe and Messi dominated the tournament four years ago. Mbappe was top scorer with eight goals, one more than Messi, but the Argentine lifted the trophy after a final in which the Frenchman's hat-trick was not enough. At this stage, a repeat final is looking a real possibility, but this World Cup could unearth a new hero in a land where audiences instinctively embrace the emergence of young talent. Copyright© 2026, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

FIFA World Cup 2026: Stars sparkle early as Messi and Mbappe light up the tournament

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FIFA World Cup 2026: Stars sparkle early as Messi and Mbappe light up the tournament

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