Haaland, Mbappé, and Messi Lead 2026 World Cup Golden Boot Race as Brazil's Raphinha Eyes Return
Lionel Messi leads the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot race with five goals, closely followed by Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé with four each, while Brazil’s Raphinha recovers from injury to return in the knockout stage.
- • Erling Haaland scored two goals versus Senegal, totaling four goals in the tournament, tying with Kylian Mbappé.
- • Lionel Messi leads the Golden Boot race with five goals and is the all-time World Cup top scorer.
- • Argentina, France, and Norway have qualified for the knockout stage with one group match remaining.
- • Brazil’s Raphinha is recovering from a muscle injury and expected to return in the round of 16 after missing two matches.
Key details
The race for the Golden Boot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup is intensifying as three of football's biggest stars—Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, and Lionel Messi—vie for the top scorer award. Haaland, the Norwegian striker, scored two goals in Norway's 3-2 win over Senegal, bringing his tournament tally to four goals, which ties him with France's Mbappé, also on four. Leading the scoring charts is Argentina's Lionel Messi with five goals, who recently became the all-time top scorer in World Cup history.
As of June 23, 2026, Argentina, France, and Norway have all secured qualification to the knockout stage with one group game remaining. Upcoming pivotal matches, including Norway versus France on June 26 and Jordan versus Argentina on June 27, could further affect the Golden Boot race.
Meanwhile, Brazil's hope in the scoring competition, Raphinha, is recovering from a muscle injury he sustained during the group phase match against Haiti. Contrary to earlier fears, Raphinha is expected to miss only two games: the final group match against Scotland and Brazil's first knockout stage match, with a projected return for the round of 16. He is undergoing intensive physiotherapy, with sessions up to three times daily, accelerating his recovery.
Raphinha has also been the subject of rumors about financial difficulties and possible transfers. However, he is financially secure, earning a monthly salary of R$8 million at Barcelona and holding nine World Cup sponsorships. Offers from clubs like Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal, which proposed double his current salary, were declined by both Raphinha and Barcelona. Since departing from agent Deco, Raphinha now works closely with his father-in-law, Alexandre Madeira, who has recently obtained a FIFA agent license, although the arrangements remain family-managed without a formal contract.
With Messi leading the scoring and Haaland and Mbappé closely chasing, the Golden Boot race promises to remain thrilling as the knockout rounds approach, while Brazil counts on Raphinha’s timely return to bolster their chances both in goals and progression.
This article was translated and synthesized from Brazilian sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
