Messi Leads 2026 World Cup Golden Boot Race with Six Goals

Lionel Messi continues to shine at the 2026 World Cup, adding another goal late in the group stage with a beautiful free kick from outside the box. This goal marks his sixth of the tournament, following a hat trick against Algeria and two goals versus Austria, all contributing to Argentina's total tally.

Golden Boot Standings After Group Stage

Messi stands ahead, but Ousmane Dembélé nearly caught up after scoring the second-fastest hat trick in World Cup history, notching three goals in just 32 minutes against Norway. That performance brought him level with teammate Kylian Mbappé, who has four goals and two assists so far this tournament. Mbappé, the 2022 Golden Boot winner, assisted on two of Dembélé’s goals in that match.

Vinícius Júnior of Brazil and Norway’s Erling Haaland also sit close behind Messi with four goals each. Vinícius Júnior scored twice against Scotland, while Haaland was rested in the last group game after Norway had already secured their spot in the knockout rounds.

Hat Tricks Highlighted by Messi, Dembélé, and David

Three players have recorded hat tricks during this World Cup: Messi in Argentina’s opening match, Dembélé in his quick-fire performance against Norway, and Jonathan David for Canada, who helped secure their first-ever World Cup win with a 6-0 victory over Qatar.

This race for the Golden Boot remains tight as the tournament moves forward. Keep track of the latest updates here to see which player emerges as the top scorer.