![World Cup 2026 Top Scorers LIVE - Messi Leads Golden Boot Race, Updated Rankings [FOTOS]](http://depor.com/resizer/v2/FFEFH2XQTNBSND2LG3VHKFBAVM.jpg?auth=0b02d68cb99bdadc28920ad758c0d57ae0d376863db15fba16c4725fbac7fc7d&width=980&height=528&quality=75&smart=true)
Lionel Messi now sits atop the World Cup 2026 top scorers table after scoring his seventh goal of the tournament against Cape Verde in the Round of 32. The Argentina captain moved ahead of Kylian Mbappé in the Golden Boot race, taking sole possession of first place after reaching seven goals in just four appearances.
The battle for the tournament’s top individual scoring honor remains wide open. Erling Haaland and Harry Kane are two goals behind Messi with five goals each, while Ousmane Dembélé, Mikel Oyarzabal, Vinícius Júnior and Ismaïla Sarr continue to apply pressure near the top of the standings. Cristiano Ronaldo also remains within striking distance as Portugal advances deeper into the competition.
This page is updated live after every World Cup 2026 matchday.
World Cup 2026 top scorers table LIVE
| PLAYER (COUNTRY) | GOALS | ASSISTS | MINUTES (MATCHES) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lionel Messi (Argentina) | 7 | 0 | 252 (4) |
| Kylian Mbappé (France) | 6 | 2 | 378 (4) |
| Erling Haaland (Norway) | 5 | 0 | 309 (4) |
| Harry Kane (England) | 5 | 0 | 394 (5) |
| Ousmane Dembélé (France) | 4 | 2 | 304 (4) |
| Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) | 4 | 1 | 333 (4) |
| Vinícius Júnior (Brazil) | 4 | 1 | 398 (5) |
| Ismaïla Sarr (Senegal) | 4 | 1 | 419 (5) |
| Deniz Undav (Germany) | 3 | 2 | 174 (3) |
| Johan Manzambi (Switzerland) | 3 | 1 | 146 (4) |
| Julián Quiñones (Mexico) | 3 | 1 | 354 (4) |
| Cody Gakpo (Netherlands) | 3 | 1 | 394 (5) |
| Brian Brobbey (Netherlands) | 3 | 0 | 245 (4) |
| Folarin Balogun (United States) | 3 | 0 | 250 (4) |
| Matheus Cunha (Brazil) | 3 | 0 | 260 (5) |
| Elijah Just (New Zealand) | 3 | 0 | 291 (4) |
| Jonathan David (Canada) | 3 | 0 | 370 (4) |
| Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) | 3 | 0 | 385 (5) |
| Ismael Saibari (Morocco) | 3 | 0 | 390 (5) |
| Kai Havertz (Germany) | 3 | 0 | 392 (5) |
Minutes (Matches) = total minutes played and appearances.
Who is leading the World Cup 2026 Golden Boot race?
Lionel Messi currently leads the Golden Boot standings with seven goals after finding the net against Cape Verde in the Round of 32. The Argentine superstar moved ahead of Kylian Mbappé, who remains second with six goals and two assists.
Behind them, Haaland and Kane remain firmly in contention with five goals each. With several knockout rounds still to be played, a single standout performance could quickly reshape the leaderboard.
Players such as Dembélé, Oyarzabal, Vinícius Júnior and Ismaïla Sarr are also within striking distance of the leaders, while Cristiano Ronaldo continues his pursuit of another major international individual award.
How is the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winner decided?
The Golden Boot is awarded to the player who finishes the tournament with the most goals scored.
If two or more players are tied on goals, FIFA applies the following tiebreakers:
- Most assists.
- Fewest minutes played.
- Additional FIFA tournament criteria if necessary.
Those rules remain important in the current race. While Messi now leads outright with seven goals, assists and minutes played could still become decisive if multiple players finish level at the top of the scoring chart.
With many of the tournament favorites still alive, the race for the World Cup 2026 Golden Boot is expected to remain one of the competition’s defining storylines through to the final.
