France remain one of the top favorites at the 2026 World Cup, and Kylian Mbappe continues to dominate headlines following his opening brace against Senegal. While modern superstars like Erling Haaland and Harry Kane look to showcase their elite clinical traits, the tournament’s spotlight remains firmly fixed on the sport’s greatest of all time: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
During a recent press conference, Mbappe was asked a direct question: “Who’s the best between you, Messi, Haaland, or Kane?” The French superstar did not hesitate with his response. “Messi is the best together with Cristiano Ronaldo,“ Mbappe said. “For 16 years, they have shown the extraordinary quality they possess. I just try to do what I know how to do: show my quality on the biggest stage possible and help my national team.”
All of these elite goal scorers are chasing a historic milestone with their respective countries. Argentina look for a fourth star in Messi’s highly anticipated “last dance,” while Portugal aim to secure the one prestigious trophy missing from Ronaldo‘s legendary cabinet.
Meanwhile, France look to secure a second title for Mbappe and another consecutive final appearance. England look to make history with Kane leading the line, and Norway hope to revive their competitive edge behind Haaland.
Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina.
Mbappe admits he trails Messi in all-time goals
Mbappe addressed the ongoing race with Lionel Messi to become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, acknowledging that the Argentine icon is always one step ahead of him.
“I already knew Messi was going to keep scoring goals. He always does,” Mbappe stated. “He is ahead, and I am behind. I will keep scoring to help my national team go as far as possible.” A potential tournament rematch between the two stars would provide immense drama, especially after they delivered one of the greatest finals in sports history four years ago.
Messi netted a historic hat-trick in his 2026 opener, matching Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the all-time World Cup top scorer with 16 goals. Meanwhile, Mbappé currently sits at 14 goals following his clinical performance against Senegal.
World Cup Golden Boot race heats up
When fans hear the names Haaland, Mbappe, Kane, Messi, and Ronaldo, goals are the first thing that comes to mind. The 2026 tournament is already living up to that expectation early in the group stage, as nearly all of them found the back of the net in their opening matches—with Cristiano Ronaldo being the lone exception.
Messi scored a historic hat-trick against Algeria to lead the tournament’s scoring charts alongside Germany’s Deniz Undav. Meanwhile, Mbappe, Haaland, and Kane each recorded braces in their respective debuts, firmly establishing themselves in the Golden Boot conversation as each squad looks to make a deep knockout run.
