World Cup 2026 Golden Boot race: Messi extends lead at the top
- Lionel Messi leads the World Cup 2026 Golden Boot race with six goals.
- Four players, including Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, are tied on four goals.
- Harry Kane joined a large group of players on three goals after England’s win over Panama.
Lionel Messi has strengthened his grip on the FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot race after taking his tournament tally to six goals.
The Argentina captain came off the bench to score in his side’s 3-1 Group J victory over Jordan on Saturday, increasing his advantage over the chasing pack.
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Messi also continued rewriting the record books by becoming the first player in World Cup history to score in seven consecutive matches. Earlier in the tournament, he overtook Germany legend Miroslav Klose to become the all-time leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup finals after scoring against Austria, despite missing an early penalty in the same match.
The 39-year-old opened what is expected to be his sixth and final World Cup campaign with a hat-trick against Algeria, equalling Klose’s previous record before later moving clear at the top of the all-time scoring charts.
The race for the tournament’s top scorer award is becoming increasingly competitive. France forward Ousmane Dembele entered the race with a hat-trick against Norway, taking his tally to four goals.
Dembele’s teammate Kylian Mbappe has also scored four times during the tournament. Brazil winger Vinicius Jr and Norway striker Erling Haaland have matched that total, leaving four players tied behind Messi.
England captain Harry Kane is among a group of players with three goals after scoring in England’s 2-0 victory over Panama. The result secured top spot in Group L and booked England’s place in the Round of 32 against DR Congo.
The latest FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot standings, as of June 30, 2026, are:
| Position | Player | Nation | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 6 | 0 |
| =2 | Kylian Mbappe | France | 4 | 2 |
| =2 | Ousmane Dembele | France | 4 | 1 |
| =2 | Vinicius Jr | Brazil | 4 | 1 |
| =2 | Erling Haaland | Norway | 4 | 0 |
| =6 | Deniz Undav | Germany | 3 | 2 |
| =6 | Johan Manzambi | Switzerland | 3 | 1 |
| =6 | Ismaila Sarr | Senegal | 3 | 1 |
| =6 | Cody Gakpo | Netherlands | 3 | 1 |
| =6 | Brian Brobbey | Netherlands | 3 | 0 |
| =6 | Matheus Cunha | Brazil | 3 | 0 |
| =6 | Jonathan David | Canada | 3 | 0 |
| =6 | Ismael Saibari | Morocco | 3 | 0 |
| =6 | Elijah Just | New Zealand | 3 | 0 |
| =6 | Kai Havertz | Germany | 3 | 0 |
| =6 | Yoane Wissa | DR Congo | 3 | 0 |
| =6 | Harry Kane | England | 3 | 0 |
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