The group stage for Groups A through F is complete. Sixty matches played across three rounds of fixtures, and the Golden Boot table has taken on real shape. There is a clear leader at the top, a crowded joint-second directly behind him, a group on three goals that is still very much in the hunt, and eighteen players all sitting on two. Here is the full picture — goals scored and games played.
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Lionel Messi (Argentina) — 5 goals
He leads. A hat-trick in Argentina’s first match — in doing so, Messi levelled with Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record. In his next match against Austria, he scored a brace and became the all-time leading goal scorer in the men’s FIFA World Cup, with 18 goals. Five goals from two appearances.
Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Vinícius Júnior — 4 goals
Mbappé and Haaland are very close to Messi. They have both scored 4 goals in 2 matches. Tonight they face each other. Mbappe currently sits at 16 World Cup goals, level with Klose. There is a chance here that any of them can beat Messi in their last fixture of the group stage.
Vinícius Júnior has scored 3 goals in 3 matches. He contributed across all three of Brazil’s group matches. He has been very consistent. The tournament has barely begun, and none of them is the type to accept second place for long.
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The Three-Goal Group
There are six players on three goals right now. They are all from different countries. This gives a sense of how competitive this World Cup really is. Some are even from the same group. In group B, Switzerland and Canada have players in this list. There are also 2 players from teams in group C — Brazil and Morocco.
Matheus Cunha (Brazil), Ismael Saibari (Morocco), Brian Brobbey (Netherlands), Johan Manzambi (Switzerland), Deniz Undav (Germany) and Jonathan David (Canada) — all have scored 3 goals in 3 games. Undav has always been substituted late in the game, which makes his tally arguably the most efficient in this bracket. Jonathan David scored a hat-trick in their second match against Qatar. All are still in the competition and will get more opportunities to close the gap.
Brazil is the only team with more than one player in the top 10 goal scorers of the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
What Comes Next
Groups G through L conclude their group stages on June 27 and 28. More players will join this table, and some already on it will climb higher before the Round of 32 begins. Once the knockouts arrive, the format changes everything — fewer games, more pressure, and no room for a quiet match. From five goals to two is not a gap that takes long to close. Update 3 will follow at the end of the group stage. Stay with it.
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