World Cup 2026 Soccer 2026 World Cup Golden Boot race: Lionel Messi extends lead as stars close in By Michael Duarte Published July 4, 2026, 4:45 p.m. ET See more of our coverage in your search results.
Add The California Post on Google The Round of 16 has arrived, and so has the sprint for one of the most coveted individual honors in sports.
While 32 nations’ dreams of lifting the FIFA World Cup trophy are now dashed, the tournament’s top goal scorers are all still alive, and they have their eyes on another prize: the Golden Boot award.
Now that the Round of 32 is complete, the race has become every bit as compelling as the chase for the championship trophy itself.
And leading the way, just as we all expected, is Lionel Messi.
The greatest player the world has ever seen added another milestone on Friday night, scoring the opening goal in Argentina’s thrilling 3-2 victory over Cape Verde in extra time.
The strike not only pushed Messi’s World Cup-leading total to seven goals, but it also extended his remarkable scoring streak to eight consecutive FIFA World Cup matches dating back to Qatar in 2022.
For a player who already became the all-time leading scorer in FIFA men’s World Cup history earlier in this tournament, the records simply refuse to stop.
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Here are the Golden Boot standings after the Round of 32:
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Messi remains the betting favorite, but Mbappé continues to stalk the Argentine legend and is just one goal behind after scoring a brace in France’s Round of 32 victory over Sweden.
Harry Kane and Erling Haaland also have kept themselves in contention, with each reaching five goals.
This race will likely come down to which team makes the deepest run in the tournament, with France the betting favorite to lift the trophy, as oddsmakers expect a rematch with Argentina in the Final.
Every additional match creates another opportunity to climb the leaderboard. One explosive afternoon can erase a two-goal deficit. One early elimination can end a dream.
Messi still owns the pole position, but with four rounds of knockout soccer remaining, the Golden Boot is far from decided. The world’s biggest stars are still standing, they’re still scoring and the race is only getting better.
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