The individual awards are among the accolades players pursue, even if the ultimate goal is lifting the trophy, making the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot one of the tournament’s most closely followed races. After the Round of 32, Lionel Messi remains at the top of the scoring standings.
Messi has scored seven goals for Argentina. He began the tournament with an outstanding group stage, helping his team win all three matches while scoring three goals against Algeria, two against Austria and one against Jordan. He then added another in Argentina’s extra-time victory over Cape Verde in the Round of 32.
Close behind him are several of the game’s biggest stars. Kylian Mbappé has six goals, while Erling Haaland and Harry Kane have five each. Ousmane Dembélé, Vinícius Júnior and Mikel Oyarzabal are next with four goals apiece.
Golden Boot standings
| Rank | Player | Country | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 7 |
| 2 | Kylian Mbappé | France | 6 |
| 3 | Harry Kane | England | 5 |
| 3 | Erling Haaland | Norway | 5 |
| 5 | Mikel Oyarzabal | Spain | 4 |
| 5 | Ousmane Dembélé | France | 4 |
| 5 | Vinícius Júnior | Brazil | 4 |
| 8 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 3 |
| 8 | Folarin Balogun | USA | 3 |
| 8 | Julián Quiñones | Mexico | 3 |
| 8 | Ismael Saibari | Morocco | 3 |
| 8 | Matheus Cunha | Brazil | 3 |
| 8 | Jonathan David | Canada | 3 |
| 8 | Johan Manzambi | Switzerland | 3 |
