Messi leads crowded World Cup scoring race after two group games
Al Jazeera reports Messi has five goals, with Mbappe and Haaland on four, as scoring rises at the expanded 2026 World Cup.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Lionel Messi has taken an early lead in the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot race, with Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland close behind after two group matches, Al Jazeera reported. The fast scoring pace matters because the expanded tournament gives teams that reach the semifinals eight games, raising the chance of a rare double-digit winning total.
Messi has scored five goals for Argentina, while France’s Mbappe and Norway’s Haaland have four each, according to Al Jazeera. Germany’s Deniz Undav and Canada’s Jonathan David are on three, with David reaching that mark through a hat-trick against Qatar.
Another 20 players have scored twice in their first two matches, Al Jazeera reported. That group includes England’s Harry Kane, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Brazil’s Vinicius Jr and Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal.
Scoring pace points to a high total
Only three players have reached double figures at a single men’s World Cup: Hungary’s Sandor Kocsis in 1954, France’s Just Fontaine in 1958 and West Germany’s Gerd Muller in 1970, according to Al Jazeera. Fontaine’s 13 goals in six matches remain the tournament record.
The Golden Boot has often required far less. Al Jazeera reported that five goals were enough to win the award in 2006 and 2010, while no player has gone beyond eight goals in the past 13 editions; Brazil’s Ronaldo did it in 2002 and Mbappe matched that total in Qatar in 2022.
This tournament has already produced goals at a rapid rate. Al Jazeera reported that the 2026 World Cup reached 100 goals in 33 matches, a pace bettered only by the 1954 edition. After Portugal’s 5-0 win over Uzbekistan, the tournament had 139 goals through 45 games, passing the group-stage record of 136 set in 2014.
Qatar 2022 set the overall tournament record with 172 goals in 64 matches, according to Al Jazeera. The 2026 edition has 40 more matches under its 48-team format, and its early scoring rate puts that mark under pressure.
Ball, breaks and format draw attention
Al Jazeera cited several possible factors behind the rise in goals, including the Adidas Trionda ball commissioned by FIFA. Before the tournament, FIFA said the ball’s deeper seams were designed to improve stability in flight, while its surface was built to aid grip in wet or humid conditions.
Austria coach Ralf Rangnick described the ball as extremely fast, saying that a well-struck shot is very hard to stop, according to Al Jazeera. The report also pointed to hydration breaks, the presence of 48 teams and uneven first-round matchups as possible contributors.
Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo said attackers now receive more protection from referees than players did 20 or 30 years ago, when rougher challenges were more common, Al Jazeera reported. Lorenzo also said teams that defend well and counterattack can still succeed.
Paths could shape the Golden Boot race
Messi, 38, has scored in six straight World Cup matches, covering every knockout round in Qatar and Argentina’s first two games this year, according to Al Jazeera. Argentina have already secured first place in Group J before facing eliminated Jordan, so Messi’s role in that match is uncertain.
Mbappe is expected to be involved when France face Norway in a Group I finale that will decide first place, Al Jazeera reported. Haaland’s chances may depend on Norway’s route after the group stage, with tougher potential opponents awaiting the side that finishes second.
Kane can push himself into the race when England play Panama in a must-win Group L match, according to Al Jazeera. Ronaldo and Vinicius Jr remain in contention on two goals, though Portugal and Brazil face demanding routes in the knockout rounds.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.