NEW YORK — Lionel Messi heads into the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the leading contender in the adidas Golden Boot race after Argentina’s forward moved to the top of the tournament scoring charts with six goals in the group phase, according to FIFA’s official player statistics.
The 39-year-old captain of the defending champions has scored more goals than any other player so far, with France’s Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior and Norway’s Erling Haaland among the closest challengers on four goals each, FIFA data showed.
Messi’s scoring run has continued a record-setting World Cup campaign. FIFA said the Golden Boot is awarded to the player with the most goals in the tournament, with assists used as the first tiebreaker and total minutes played considered if players remain level.
Argentina advanced from the group stage with Messi as its primary attacking threat, while the expanded 48-team tournament moves into the knockout rounds with several elite forwards still in contention for the individual award.
Mbappé, who won the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup, entered the knockout stage among the leading scorers again after contributing four goals for France. FIFA’s statistics also placed Dembélé, Vinícius Júnior and Haaland on the same total, keeping the race open as teams move into higher-pressure matches.
The 2026 tournament has produced a high-scoring group stage, with the number of matches increased under FIFA’s expanded format. The additional knockout round means teams that reach the later stages will play more matches than in previous editions, creating more opportunities for leading scorers to add to their totals.
Messi entered the tournament already among the top World Cup scorers in history and has continued to add to his international record. FIFA reported that he became the leading scorer in the tournament’s history after surpassing previous benchmarks during the group stage.
The Golden Boot race remains dependent on team progress as the knockout stage begins, with remaining matches determining which players receive additional opportunities to score. FIFA’s official statistics will continue to track goals, assists and playing time throughout the remainder of the competition.
The next confirmed stage of the tournament is the knockout round, where Argentina and the other qualified teams will continue their campaigns toward the final.
