Lionel Messi Leads World Cup Scoring, Chased by Vinícius Júnior, Mbappé, and Haaland

The 2026 World Cup is heading into the final stages of group play, and some players have clearly separated themselves in the scoring charts. Lionel Messi currently leads the pack with five goals, all scored for Argentina, putting him ahead in the race for the Golden Boot.

During Argentina’s recent knockout clincher against Austria, Messi bounced back from a missed penalty to score twice, including a record-breaking 17th World Cup goal that surpassed Germany’s Miroslav Klose. By the end of the match, Messi had not only secured the lead but also surpassed Brazil's Marta to hold the record for most World Cup goals ever scored by any player—men or women—with 18 total.

Top Scorers So Far

Vinícius Júnior sits just behind Messi with four goals and one assist, boosted by two first-half goals against Scotland. His assist came during Brazil's 3-0 win over Haiti earlier in the tournament, giving him a slight advantage over Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, who also each have four goals.

Mbappé and Haaland have been consistent scorers, netting twice in every group-stage game so far. Haaland, playing in his debut World Cup, has already helped Norway reach the knockout rounds. This weekend, he will face Mbappé as their teams battle to top Group I.

An unexpected threat in the Golden Boot chase is Germany's substitute Deniz Undav. He scored twice last Saturday, bringing his total to three goals and adding two assists. This performance makes him one to watch going forward.

Both Messi and Canada’s Jonathan David have recorded hat tricks in the tournament. Messi’s came against Algeria in Argentina’s opener. David’s came in Canada’s historic 6-0 victory over Qatar—their first ever World Cup win.

We'll keep tracking the race for the Golden Boot as the tournament progresses, so keep checking back to see which player pulls ahead.