2026 World Cup: Messi takes the lead in the top scorers ranking.
With a hat-trick against Algeria, Lionel Messi has kicked off his 2026 World Cup campaign perfectly. The Argentine captain is taking the lead in the race for the Golden Shoe, ahead of several favorites already showing success, including Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland.
SUMMARY
Lionel Messi made a significant impact in the race for the World Cup 2026 Golden Shoe. The captain of Argentina positioned himself at the top of the goal scorers’ ranking thanks to his hat-trick during the Albiceleste’s decisive victory over Algeria (3-0) in Group J. Shining at Kansas City Stadium, the Inter Miami forward led his team to success by scoring all three goals of the match. This outstanding performance also allows him to equal the German Miroslav Klose in the ranks of the top goal scorers in World Cup history.
Behind the Argentine star, several contenders have already made their mark. Kylian Mbappé scored twice during France’s victory against Senegal (3-1), while Erling Haaland also found the net twice in Norway’s win over Iraq (4-1).
Top Scorers Ranking
3 goals
- Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2 goals
- Folarin Balogun (United States)
- Yasin Ayari (Sweden)
- Kai Havertz (Germany)
- Elijah Just (New Zealand)
- Erling Haaland (Norway)
- Kylian Mbappé (France)
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