Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane each scored in recent World Cup matches to tighten the Golden Boot race.
- This is the first World Cup where three players have seven or more goals before the quarter-finals, a historic pace unseen since 1958.
- Messi faces Egypt next while Mbappé plays Morocco, Haaland takes on England, and all four contenders remain central to their teams' title ambitions.
One of the most prominent themes of this World Cup has been the vast majority of superstar players, particularly attackers, coming to the fore. In the last three days alone, four of the biggest stars of the world game have all scored to help their respective nations progress through this tournament.
So, as a side show to who is going to win the World Cup itself, the Golden Boot race is like nothing we've ever seen before.
Current World Cup Golden Boot standings
Players | Nation | Goals scored | Odds to win |
|---|---|---|---|
Lionel Messi | Argentina | 7 | +150 |
Kylian Mbappé | France | 7 | +138 |
Erling Braut Håland | Norway | 7 | +600 |
Harry Kane | England | 6 | +800 |
Ousmane Dembélé | France | 4 | +4000 |
Mikel Oyarzabal | Spain | 4 | +3300 |
Jude Bellingham | England | 4 | +8000 |
Note: Statistics correct at the time ot publication.
Before we've even reached the quarter-final stage, this is only the third World Cup at which three or more players have surpassed six goals, after 1954 and 1958. Furthermore, it is the first World Cup in history where three players have scored seven or more goals. At 10 of the last 12 editions, the Golden Boot winner has scored six or fewer goals, with Ronaldo in 2002 and Kylian Mbappé 2022, both on eight, the highest-scorers at a single World Cup since Gerd Müller back in 1970.
Well, while Just Fontaine's single-tournament record of 13 goals in 1958 is unlikely to be surpassed, someone might come close, so here are the leading candidates for the award.
Lionel Messi
One advantage Lionel Messi has over his rivals is that he is yet to play his round of 16 match. In Tuesday's early kick, defending champions Argentina will face Egypt at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a match they are firm favorites to win, so the 39-year-old will fancy his chances of a goal or two in Atlanta.
So far at this tournament, Messi has scored in all four matches, netting seven times in total, including a hat-trick against Austria, before opening the scoring during Friday night's extraordinary win over Cape Verde in Miami. Overall, Messi has now notched 20 World Cup goals, shattering Mirosłav Klose's previous record of 16, albeit only one ahead of a certain former teammate of his.
Kylian Mbappé
No man or indeed women has ever won multiple World Cup Golden Boots, but Kylian Mbappé is on course to go back-to-back. He bagged his seventh of the tournament on Saturday, the only goal of the evening as France ousted a brutal and frankly disgraceful Paraguay 1-0 in Philadelphia, rightfully laughing in the faces of Orlando Gill and Matías Galarza as he did so.
In total, Mbappé now has 63 goals for les Bleus, netting 19 times in 19 World Cup appearances. Next up in the quarterfinals on Thursday, Didier Deschamps' side face Morocco in Foxborough. This is a rerun of the 2022 semifinal in Al-Khor, a match France won 2-0, and if this is to go the same way, Mbappé is likely to add to his tally.
Erling Haaland
The third man with seven World Cup goals to his name is Erling Braut Håland. Having scored 297 goals at senior club level, this will not be a surprise, but should equally be recogniszed as a major achievement. On Sunday, two late goals from Håland saw Norway beat Brazil 2-1 in New Jersey, claiming the most famous result in Norwegian football history, reaching the quarter-finals for the first time ever.
Håland has now scored in each of his first four World Cup appearances, with Norway having qualified for the first time since '98. The last time the Lions featured, his dad Alf-Inge was playing, while their most-recent appearance at any major tournament was Euro 2000, with Erling born a month after they were eliminated by Slovenia in Arnhem. Unlike the other players on six or seven goals, Håland is not playing for an elite-level team with loads of tournament experience. Although based on how Ståle Solbakken's side are playing, the first part of that statement may not prove to be true.
Harry Kane
Lastly, one behind the leading pack, can 2018 Golden Boot winner Harry Kane fire England to glory? On Sunday night, or early Monday morning if you're in the UK, Jude Bellingham's brace and Harry Kane's spot-kick saw the Three Lions battle to a 3-2 victory over Mexico at a raucous Azteca.
Kane now has 85 England goals to his name, Wayne Rooney was the previous record holder on 53, with the Bayern Munich striker having now netted 14 times in 16 World Cup outings. His late double saved Thomas Tuchel's team against DR Congo, as well as bagging a brace against Croatia. So now, on Saturday night at Hard Rock Stadium, Håland and Kane will go head-to-head and, while there are plenty of other stars on show, both will be key to their side's hopes in South Florida.
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