{"id":16251,"date":"2026-06-27T02:46:58","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T21:16:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/?p=16251"},"modified":"2026-06-27T04:03:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T22:33:34","slug":"fifa-world-cup-2026-the-golden-boot-race-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-the-golden-boot-race-2\/","title":{"rendered":"FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122: The Golden Boot Race 2"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"bsf_rt_marker\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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 \u2014 goals scored and games played.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-black ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Page Contents:<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #282fff;color:#282fff\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #282fff;color:#282fff\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-the-golden-boot-race-2\/#Lionel_Messi_Argentina_%E2%80%94_5_goals\" >Lionel Messi (Argentina) \u2014 5 goals&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-the-golden-boot-race-2\/#Kylian_Mbappe_Erling_Haaland_and_Vinicius_Junior_%E2%80%94_4_goals\" >Kylian Mbapp\u00e9, Erling Haaland and Vin\u00edcius J\u00fanior \u2014 4 goals&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-the-golden-boot-race-2\/#The_Three-Goal_Group\" >The Three-Goal Group<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-the-golden-boot-race-2\/#What_Comes_Next\" >What Comes Next<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>ZEE 5 is the official streaming home of the <\/strong><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\"><strong><em>FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em><strong> in India. Every match, live \u2014 subscribe today.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Lionel_Messi_Argentina_%E2%80%94_5_goals\"><\/span><strong>Lionel Messi (<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/argentina\/argentina-squad\"><strong>Argentina<\/strong><\/a><strong>) \u2014 5 goals&nbsp;<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He leads. A hat-trick in Argentina&#8217;s first match \u2014 in doing so, Messi levelled with Miroslav Klose&#8217;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&#8217;s FIFA World Cup, with 18 goals. Five goals from two appearances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Kylian_Mbappe_Erling_Haaland_and_Vinicius_Junior_%E2%80%94_4_goals\"><\/span><strong>Kylian Mbapp\u00e9, Erling Haaland and Vin\u00edcius J\u00fanior \u2014 4 goals&nbsp;<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mbapp\u00e9 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vin\u00edcius J\u00fanior has scored 3 goals in 3 matches. He contributed across all three of Brazil&#8217;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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>Watch every Golden Boot contender live in the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 knockouts on ZEE5 \u00a0 \u2014 subscribe from Rs. 799 for three months.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Three-Goal_Group\"><\/span><strong>The Three-Goal Group<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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 \u2014 Brazil and Morocco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Matheus Cunha (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/brazil\/brazil-squad\">Brazil<\/a>), Ismael Saibari (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/morocco\/morocco-squad\">Morocco<\/a>), Brian Brobbey (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/netherlands\/netherlands-squad\">Netherlands<\/a>), Johan Manzambi (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/switzerland\/switzerland-squad\">Switzerland<\/a>), Deniz Undav (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/germany\/germany-squad\">Germany<\/a>) and Jonathan David (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/canada\/canada-squad\">Canada<\/a>) \u2014 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.<br><br>Brazil is the only team with more than one player in the top 10 goal scorers of the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Comes_Next\"><\/span><strong>What Comes Next<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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 \u2014 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Don&#8217;t miss a goal. Every FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 knockout match is live on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/myaccount\/subscription?plan-ref=0-11-7467&amp;asset-ref=0-6-4z5914493&amp;visibility=SELECTED&amp;context=FIFA\">ZEE5 FIFA Subscription<\/a> \u2014<\/em> <em>for 3 months from Rs. 799.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Disclaimer: Subscription pack prices are subject to change from time to time. Please visit the subscription page for the most up-to-date pricing information.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":15163,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3019],"tags":[3031],"class_list":["post-16251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fifa-world-cup-2026","tag-fifa-world-cup-2026"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png","author_info":{"display_name":"Sourav K","author_link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/author\/sourav-k\/"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122: The Golden Boot Race 2 - ZEE5 Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"FIFA 2026 Golden Boot race\u2014Messi leads, Mbapp\u00e9, Haaland, Vin\u00edcius chase in top scorers chart.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-the-golden-boot-race-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122: The Golden Boot Race 2 - 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