Messi, Mbappé, Haaland, Kane: Who will win the World Cup Golden Boot?

The race for the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot is tightening as Lionel Messi leads by one goal with eight strikes heading into the quarter-finals. Messi’s advantage comes after a dramatic Tuesday comeback win over Egypt in which he missed a penalty early—his second of the tournament—before scoring in the 83rd minute to level the match. He also added a scoring contribution with an assist, and he has now netted in every Argentina game. Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland are level on seven goals, with Mbappé needing further scoring to defend the eight-goal Golden Boot he won in 2022. Harry Kane remains among the chasing group. If players finish tied, assists determine the winner, according to the article.