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World Cup 2026: Mbappe, Messi, Haaland vie for Golden Boot in historic three-way tie

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The race for the World Cup Golden Boot is exceptionally tight, with Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, and Erling Haaland all tied with seven goals heading into the quarter-finals.
  • This marks the first time in World Cup history that three players have reached seven or more goals by this stage, with assists and minutes played as potential tiebreakers.
  • Harry Kane is the closest challenger with six goals, while other players like Jude Bellingham and Ousmane Dembele are on four goals.

The 2026 World Cup is witnessing an unprecedented Golden Boot race, with football titans Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, and Erling Haaland locked in a three-way tie. Each has netted seven goals as the tournament enters the quarter-final stage, a feat never before achieved in World Cup history.

The race for the World Cup Golden Boot has turned into one of the tightest in the tournament’s history.

— The PunchIntroduction to the Golden Boot race.

Mbappe surged ahead first, converting a penalty in France's narrow victory over Paraguay. Messi followed suit with a goal against Cape Verde, extending his own record as the World Cup's all-time leading scorer. Haaland then joined the leaders, scoring twice in Norway's upset win against Brazil to secure a spot in the last eight.

Mbappe took the outright lead first, converting a penalty in France’s 1-0 Round of 16 win over Paraguay to move to seven goals.

— The PunchDetailing Kylian Mbappe's goal.

Should the deadlock continue to the final match, tiebreaker rules will come into play, prioritizing assists and then minutes played. Currently, Mbappe holds an advantage in both these categories. England's Harry Kane remains a close contender with six goals, having already matched his 2018 Golden Boot tally with three rounds remaining.

Messi had set the pace a day earlier with a strike against Cape Verde in Argentina’s dramatic extra-time win, a goal that also extended his own record as the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer.

— The PunchDetailing Lionel Messi's goal.

Beyond the top scorers, a group of players including Jude Bellingham, Ousmane Dembele, and Mikel Oyarzabal are trailing with four goals each. The competition for the Golden Glove award for best goalkeeper is also proving to be equally open, with Mike Maignan, Emiliano Martinez, and Unai Simon among the strong contenders.

Haaland was the last of the trio to arrive at seven, scoring twice in Norway’s stunning 2-1 victory over five-time champions Brazil to book his side’s place in the last eight.

— The PunchDetailing Erling Haaland's goals.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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