Ranking the 9 Goals from Haaland, Kane, Mbappé, and Messi in World Cup 2026 Openers
Top 9 Goals by Haaland, Kane, Mbappé, and Messi in Their World Cup 2026 Debuts
In just two days, four of soccer’s most prominent players—Erling Haaland from Norway, Harry Kane representing England, Kylian Mbappé for France, and Lionel Messi playing for Argentina—combined to score nine goals during their teams' opening matches of the 2026 World Cup.
Each goal helped push their teams toward victory and here is how those nine moments stack up.
9. Harry Kane, 12th minute vs. Croatia
Kane’s penalty kick was unique because it came after a retake. The Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livaković initially saved Kane’s spot kick but had moved early, which granted Kane a second chance that he converted. This was the only penalty goal among the nine.
8. Erling Haaland, 43rd minute vs. Iraq
Haaland took advantage of a careless Iraqi defense. A sloppy back pass let him intercept the ball before the keeper, Jalal Hassan, could reach it, making it an easy finish.
7. Lionel Messi, 60th minute vs. Algeria
Messi showed sharp anticipation following a shot from teammate Alexis Mac Allister. While defenders hesitated, Messi reacted fastest to the rebound, securing the goal with ease.
6. Harry Kane, 42nd minute vs. Croatia
This powerful header tied Kane with Gary Lineker’s record of ten World Cup goals for England. Delivered from a corner by Declan Rice, Kane rose above defenders to make his mark as one of the tournament’s top scorers.
5. Erling Haaland, 29th minute vs. Iraq
Haaland’s first World Cup goal was classic Haaland. He sprinted toward the far post and slid in to tap home a precise cross into an unguarded net, putting Norway comfortably ahead.
4. Lionel Messi, 76th minute vs. Algeria
For his first World Cup hat trick, Messi slowed down to carve out space, then shot the ball through a crowd of four defenders before beating Algeria's goalkeeper, Luca Zidane.
3. Kylian Mbappé, 66th minute vs. Senegal
Mbappé’s goal combined speed and skill. He ran hard into the penalty area, opened his hips perfectly, and executed a one-touch finish that sailed past the goalkeeper toward the far post.
2. Lionel Messi, 17th minute vs. Algeria
The setup was as important as the goal. Rodrigo de Paul’s precise, fast pass sliced through the defense, allowing Messi to control the ball, turn swiftly, and strike it into the top right corner with deadly accuracy.
1. Kylian Mbappé, 90+6 minutes vs. Senegal
Mbappé’s late goal might be the standout moment of the tournament so far. Just after Senegal had closed the gap to 2-1, Mbappé unleashed a stunning shot in stoppage time that left goalkeeper Edouard Mendy helpless, sealing a dramatic win for France.
