Lionel Messi found the back of the net once again, scoring his sixth goal of the 2026 World Cup. He is beginning to pull away from his closest challengers in the Golden Boot race, including Erling Haaland, who admitted on social media how difficult it will be to catch him.
The Norwegian striker, alongside a selfie taken aboard an airplane, reacted to Messi’s free-kick goal by posting: “Messi is never letting me touch the World Cup Golden Boot,” followed by two crying emojis.
After the first three matchdays of the World Cup group stage, the tournament’s top five scorers feature five of the biggest names in the game, and any one of them could realistically finish as the Golden Boot winner.
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 6 goals
- Erling Haaland (Norway) – 4 goals
- Kylian Mbappe (France) – 4 goals
- Ousmane Dembele (France) – 4 goals
- Vinicius Jr. (Brazil) – 4 goals
Erling Haaland #9 of Norway during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I match
What’s next for Messi, Haaland and the rest of the top scorers in the Round of 32?
The moment of truth has arrived, as every team now faces the prospect of either continuing its World Cup journey or heading home early. Lionel Messi currently leads the tournament’s scoring chart and could add to his tally next Friday, when Argentina take on Cape Verde in Miami.
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Norway, meanwhile, will need Erling Haaland at his very best to overcome a tough challenge. The Vikings are set to face Ivory Coast, a dangerous opponent that cannot be underestimated.
France, as always, enter this stage as one of the favorites, with Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele leading the way as two of their top scorers. Standing in their path in the Round of 32 is Sweden, setting up an all-European showdown.
Brazil will not want to fall behind, with Japan standing in their way if they hope to continue their strong run. Can Vinicius Junior keep finding the back of the net to help guide the Selecao forward?
