Frank Rondel
World Cup 2026 Golden Boot race leader Lionel Messi finished the group stage with 6 goals. The Argentina captain strengthened his position after scoring against Jordan in a 3-1 victory, as noted by the customreceipt.com editorial team.
Messi Sets Another World Cup Record
Messi entered the match from the bench and scored with a late free kick. It was his seventh consecutive World Cup appearance with a goal.
The 39-year-old became the first player to produce such a scoring run. Just Fontaine and Jairzinho previously scored in 6 consecutive matches.
Messi’s current streak began during Argentina’s victorious 2022 World Cup campaign. He now has 19 World Cup goals overall, another tournament record.
World Cup 2026 Top Scorers After the Group Stage
The tournament produced 192 goals across 72 group matches. That equals an average of 2.67 goals per game.
Four established stars remain 2 goals behind Messi:
| Player | Team | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 6 | 0 |
| Kylian Mbappé | France | 4 | 2 |
| Ousmane Dembélé | France | 4 | 1 |
| Vinícius Júnior | Brazil | 4 | 1 |
| Erling Haaland | Norway | 4 | 0 |
Mbappé holds the strongest secondary record among the chasing players. His 2 assists could also become decisive if several players finish level on goals.
Can Messi Win the Golden Boot?
The expanded knockout stage gives leading scorers more opportunities. Argentina will face Cape Verde in the round of 32 after winning all 3 group matches.
Messi remains the favourite, but one knockout performance could reshape the standings. Mbappé, Dembélé, Vinícius and Haaland are still firmly in contention.
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