As of June 24, 2026, Lionel Messi is leading the race for the Golden Boot in the World Cup with five goals, while Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are closely following with four goals each, raising questions about whether this could be the best Golden Boot contest ever, according to Al Jazeera.

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup expands to 48 teams, players such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, and Cristiano Ronaldo are breaking records in a competitive race for the Golden Boot, highlighting their elite scoring abilities.

Lionel Messi became the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer as Argentina advanced to the knockout stage following a 2-0 victory over Austria. Messi scored his 17th World Cup goal, surpassing the previous record, after recovering from an earlier penalty miss. The match took place in Dallas, United States, according to Xinhua.

Lionel Messi stated that he is not concerned about his age after becoming the all-time scorer in World Cup history just before his 39th birthday. He achieved this milestone by surpassing Miroslav Klose's record of 16 goals with a first-half goal during Argentina's 2-0 victory over Austria in Dallas, where he scored another goal as well.

The race for the World Cup Golden Boot, typically a secondary focus, has become a primary topic of discussion at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to The South African Sport.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are engaged in a competition to break World Cup records, but there exists a notable achievement that neither can surpass: the title of the oldest African World Cup goalscorer. This distinction highlights a unique milestone in the context of the ongoing rivalry between the two football legends.