Lionel Messi Leads 2026 World Cup Scoring, Chased by Vinícius Júnior, Mbappé, and Haaland

The 2026 World Cup has seen some remarkable performances as it edges toward the end of group play. Lionel Messi currently holds the lead in the race for the Golden Boot, awarded to the tournament's highest goal scorer. Assists serve as tiebreakers when players share the same number of goals.

Messi reclaimed the top position during Argentina’s knockout round clincher against Austria on Monday. Despite missing a penalty early on, he quickly redeemed himself by striking a precise left-footed shot into the bottom-left corner, marking his 17th World Cup goal and surpassing Germany’s Miroslav Klose's record. Before the match ended, Messi added another goal, bringing his total to five goals—accounting for all of Argentina's scoring in the tournament so far.

His 18 World Cup goals now outnumber those of Brazil’s Marta, making him the highest-scoring player across both men's and women's World Cup history. By Tuesday afternoon, Messi was among eight players with at least three goals in this tournament.