The race for the World Cup Golden Boot is heating up more than a week into the 2026 tournament. Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé are all in action Monday, while Harry Kane returns less than 24 hours later. Each has enjoyed a prolific start, with multiple goals in their opening games.
Lionel Messi leads the early standings with three goals in one game, including his first World Cup hat trick against Algeria. Argentina still has group games against Austria and Jordan, and a deep run to the final would increase his chances of claiming a first Golden Boot. Messi is 38 and turns 39 this week; he has never won the award, and last tournament Mbappé finished one ahead after a final hat trick. Last season, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé posted better goals-per-minute ratios than Messi.
Kylian Mbappé has two goals in one game after a brace in France’s opener against Senegal and faces Iraq next. Mbappé is one of two players at this World Cup who previously have won the Golden Boot, along with Kane. France, with attacking options that include Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué and Michael Olise, could be the tournament’s highest-scoring team if they advance deep. Historically, the Golden Boot often goes to a player from a semifinalist or finalist, and France could face Germany in the round of 16, which would be a challenging matchup.
Erling Haaland also has two goals in one game, scoring twice in Norway’s 4-1 victory over Iraq. Haaland said he considers himself “up there” among prolific scorers and acknowledged others outscored him this past season; he finished as Premier League top scorer with 27 goals. Norway are regarded as an above-average side, ranked No. 11 in ESPN’s latest team power rankings, and Haaland may need to produce several group-stage goals to lead the tournament.
Those four are the main contenders early on, though the tournament still has plenty of games left and other players could move into contention as the World Cup progresses.
