Messi leads 2026 World Cup Golden Boot race with 5 goals as Mbappe, Haaland chase

Lionel Messi leads the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot race with five goals in just two games, bringing his career World Cup total to 18 after scoring a hat-trick against Algeria and two versus Austria. Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland trail with four goals each, while Cristiano Ronaldo made history by scoring in his sixth different World Cup tournament.

The ongoing tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States has already broken the all-time World Cup scoring record held by Messi, with the legendary single-tournament mark of 13 goals set by Just Fontaine in 1958 appearing increasingly vulnerable. Harry Kane and Ronaldo also have two goals each, keeping the race wide open among football's elite.

At 39, Messi continues to defy age with Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni calling his performance 'hard to explain' after their opening match. Mbappe, who won the Golden Boot in Qatar 2022 with eight goals, insists he's focused on team success rather than chasing Messi's record. Meanwhile, Haaland downplayed his remarkable international scoring rate of 59 goals in 52 games for Norway.

As Messi chases history at 39 while Mbappe and Haaland close in, what lessons can Nigerian footballers draw about sustaining excellence over decades?

SOURCE: https://www.channelstv.com/2026/06/24/messi-haaland-mbappe-lead-battle-for-golden-boot-at-world-cup/