All guns blazing as Messi, Mbappé and Haaland lead World Cup Golden Boot race
Key takeaways
- Just Fontaine has reigned as the World Cup's record scorer at a single tournament since 1958.
- By: FRANCE 24 Argentina's Lionel Messi leads the Golden Boot race, trailed by France's Kylian Mbappé and Norway's Erling Haaland.
- Usually a subplot, the race for the World Cup Golden Boot is one of the main talking points at this year's tournament as the top marksmen set a blistering pace.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Just Fontaine has reigned as the World Cup's record scorer at a single tournament since 1958. But with Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland each piling on the goals for their respective countries, and the likes of Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo in pursuit, the decades-old record is looking vulnerable for the first time.
By: FRANCE 24 Argentina's Lionel Messi leads the Golden Boot race, trailed by France's Kylian Mbappé and Norway's Erling Haaland. © AP Goal-scoring records have been tumbling at the 2026 World Cup – and the world's most prolific strikers have another milestone in sight.
Usually a subplot, the race for the World Cup Golden Boot is one of the main talking points at this year's tournament as the top marksmen set a blistering pace.