Golden Boot race: Messi moves one ahead of Mbappe and Haaland

Lionel Messi has moved one goal ahead of both Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot at the World Cup.

The superstars are delivering on the biggest stage of them all and are setting a blistering pace in the race to be the tournament's top goalscorer in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Messi bounced back after missing his penalty against Egypt to help

Argentina complete their historic comeback

, scoring three goals in the final 13 minutes to progress into the quarter-finals. Mbappe and Haaland both have seven as the two stars share second spot.

Meanwhile, England captain

Harry Kane

is the next best with six goals after his penalty helped his side edge co-hosts Mexico 3-2 to set up a last-eight clash with Norway.

How the race for the Golden Boot stands...

Who will win the Golden Boot? Have your say...

Could more records tumble?

Miroslav Klose started the tournament out in front on the all-time World Cup goalscoring chart with 16 goals, but both Messi and Mbappe have overtaken the ex-Germany striker.

Haaland became Norway's leading goalscorer at World Cups after just two games, while Kane has gone past Gary Lineker as England's top World Cup scorer.

Also See:

World Cup 2026 fixture schedule - your day-by-day guide

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Golden Boot contenders will be targeting Just Fontaine's 1958 record of 13 goals in a single tournament.

Only three players in World Cup history - Fontaine, Germany's Gerd Muller in 1970 and Hungary's Sandor Kocsis in 1954 - have ever hit double figures at a single tournament.

What other records have been broken?

Most World Cup tournaments played

: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (six each)

First player to score in six World Cups

: Cristiano Ronaldo

Oldest player to score multiple goals in a game

Smallest nation to appear at a World Cup:

Curacao

Most red cards in an opening match

: Mexico vs South Africa (three)

Most-attended World Cup

Highest-scoring World Cup

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