The great figures of world football responded in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup with an intense fight for the scoring leadership. Lionel Messi leads the table with six goals and arrives as the top offensive reference of the tournament.
The Argentine captain also made history by becoming the top scorer in the World Cups with 19 goals. His goal against Jordan allowed him to surpass the record of 16 goals held by Miroslav Klose since 2014.
Behind Messi appears a group of figures with four goals each. Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Vinícius Júnior and Ousmane Dembélé remain in the fight for the Golden Boot.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane also remain in contention to reach the top during the knockout phase. Further back appear Deniz Undav, Jonathan David and Yoane Wissa, who have accumulated three scores.
The fight for the scoring title promises to intensify in the round of 32. France trusts in Mbappé and Dembélé, while Brazil is betting on Vinícius Júnior to continue advancing in the tournament.
Haaland also arrives as one of the main offensive threats after an outstanding start with Norway. The forward maintains a scoring average that places him among the candidates to fight for the lead until the last rounds.
Messi built his mark with a hat trick against Algeria, a double against Austria and a goal against Jordan. Now he will look to maintain his streak in the knockout phase and extend his advantage over the rest of the top scorers in the World Cup.