Lionel Messi has moved further ahead in the race for the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot after scoring his sixth goal of the tournament, as the group stage reached its conclusion with several players still in contention.
The Argentina captain added to his tally with a superb late free-kick from outside the box on Saturday night, taking his side’s total contribution to eight goals in the competition so far.
His earlier goals came in the form of a hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina’s opening match, followed by a brace against Austria.
As things stand at the end of the group phase, Messi leads a tightly packed chasing group that includes some of the biggest attacking names in world football.
Five players are currently on at least four goals, while a further nine players have scored three times, keeping the race wide open heading into the knockout stages.
France’s Ousmane Dembélé made a dramatic leap into contention on Friday, scoring a rapid hat-trick in the opening 32 minutes of their match against Norway, the second-fastest treble in World Cup history.
That performance lifted him to four goals, level with his international teammate Kylian Mbappé in the group stage scoring chart.
Mbappé, the 2022 Golden Boot winner, also played a key creative role in France’s attacking display, providing two assists for Dembélé during the same match.
The French duo are now firmly among Messi’s closest challengers as the tournament intensifies.
Elsewhere, Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior and Norway’s Erling Haaland remain one goal behind Messi with four goals each. Vinícius struck twice in the first half against Scotland, underlining his growing influence for Brazil.
Haaland, meanwhile, was rested from Norway’s starting XI in their final group match after their qualification for the Round of 32 had already been secured.
Canada’s Jonathan David also features prominently in the Golden Boot race after scoring a hat-trick in his nation’s historic 6-0 win over Qatar, their first-ever victory at a World Cup finals.
His performance briefly placed him among the top scorers in the competition.
The African angle has also been notable in the scoring charts, with players such as Ismaila Sarr (Senegal) and Yoane Wissa (DR Congo) both registering three goals to keep themselves in contention as the tournament moves into the knockout rounds.
Their contributions have added to Africa’s strong attacking presence in the competition.
| Rank | Player | Country | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 6 | 0 |
| 2 | Kylian Mbappé | France | 4 | 2 |
| 3 | Ousmane Dembélé | France | 4 | 1 |
| 4 | Vinícius Júnior | Brazil | 4 | 1 |
| 5 | Erling Haaland | Norway | 4 | 0 |
| 6 | Deniz Undav | Germany | 3 | 2 |
| 7 | Johan Manzambi | Switzerland | 3 | 1 |
| 8 | Ismaila Sarr | Senegal | 3 | 1 |
| 9 | Brian Brobbey | Netherlands | 3 | 0 |
| 10 | Matheus Cunha | Brazil | 3 | 0 |
| 11 | Ismael Saibari | Morocco | 3 | 0 |
| 12 | Jonathan David | Canada | 3 | 0 |
| 13 | Harry Kane | England | 3 | 0 |
| 14 | Elijah Just | New Zealand | 3 | 0 |
| 15 | Yoane Wissa | DR Congo | 3 | 0 |
| 16 | Crysencio Summerville | Netherlands | 2 | 1 |
| 17 | Pape Gueye | Senegal | 2 | 1 |
| 18 | Ruben Vargas | Switzerland | 2 | 1 |
| 19 | Riyad Mahrez | Algeria | 2 | 1 |
| 20 | Mikel Oyarzabal | Spain | 2 | 0 |
