Messi Leads Golden Boot Race Ahead of Quarter-Finals

Lionel Messi leads the Golden Boot race with eight goals as the 2026 World Cup enters its quarter-final stage. The Argentine captain has surpassed his seven-goal tally from Qatar 2022 and extended his record as the all-time top World Cup scorer with 21 goals Source: Excelsior.

The contenders

• Lionel Messi (Argentina): 8 goals. He has scored in all five matches so far Source: Infobae.
• Kylian Mbappé (France) and Erling Haaland (Norway): 7 goals each. Mbappé ranks second historically with 19 World Cup goals, while Haaland is making a stunning debut Source: Excelsior.
• Harry Kane (England): 6 goals. The 2018 Golden Boot winner has 14 career World Cup goals Source: Infobae.
• Other players with four goals include Ousmane Dembélé, Mikel Oyarzabal, and Jude Bellingham Source: Excelsior.

Quarter-final impact

The quarter-final matchups could reshuffle the standings. France faces Morocco, Spain meets Belgium, Norway takes on England, and Argentina plays Switzerland Source: Excelsior. The Norway-England clash guarantees that either Haaland or Kane will be eliminated Source: El Colombiano. All top contenders are still alive, but only those who reach the final have three matches left to add to their tally Source: Infobae.