Shafaq News

The World Cup 2026 Golden Boot race has turned into a four-man chase, with Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi leading on six goals while Harry Kane and Erling Haaland remain one goal behind.

Mbappe sits first on the current scoring table because of the tiebreakers. The France forward has six goals and two assists, while Messi has six goals without an assist, making the French captain the leader if both finish level.

Kane moved to five goals after scoring twice in England’s 2-1 win over DR Congo, joining Haaland in the chasing pack. Ousmane Dembele, Vinicius Junior, and Ismaila Sarr sit on four, though Sarr’s race ended with Senegal’s 3-2 loss to Belgium.

The Golden Boot is decided first by goals, then assists, then fewer minutes played. That gives Mbappe a real advantage, not only because he is level on goals, but because he already owns the first tiebreaker over Messi.

But Messi still has the clearest chance to change the race immediately. Argentina face Cape Verde in the Round of 32, giving him one more knockout match before Mbappe returns against Paraguay in the Round of 16. Meanwhile, England face Mexico next, and Kane has already shown he can climb quickly, turning one knockout match into a two-goal jump.

Haaland’s case depends on Norway surviving Brazil. He remains one of the tournament’s most direct finishers, but Norway need a deep run for him to stay close to Mbappe, Messi, and Kane.

FanDuel odds listed Mbappe as the favorite, narrowly ahead of Messi, with Kane and Haaland further back despite remaining within one goal. Mbappe won the 2022 Golden Boot with eight goals, while Kane won the 2018 award with six. No player has won the World Cup Golden Boot twice.

The expanded 48-team format may push the winning total higher than usual. Semifinalists can now play eight matches, making seven or eight goals a realistic target if the leading scorers keep advancing.