Stars of the World Cup Golden Boot Race With Eight Games to Play

[Nomad]

With the round of 32 concluded and the last 16 confirmed, the Golden Boot race at the 2026 World Cup is a genuinely three-way contest between the three best players in the world. Kylian Mbappe leads with six goals from four games following his brace against Sweden. Lionel Messi has six from four following his free-kick against Jordan and the other tournament goals that have extended his all-time World Cup record to 19. Erling Haaland has five from four after his 60th Norway goal against Ivory Coast in the 86th minute.

The race will be decided by which player's team goes deepest in the tournament rather than by individual performance alone, since the scoring opportunities that decide Golden Boots come from more games played. France face Paraguay on Saturday July 4, a manageable opponent given what France have shown in four games. Argentina face Cape Verde on Friday July 3, an equally manageable last 16 opponent for the defending champions. Norway face Brazil on Sunday July 5, which is a genuinely difficult last 16 match and the game most likely to end one of the three main candidates' scoring runs.

Other names in the race who cannot be dismissed: Harry Kane has scored four in four for England including the two against Congo DR and could add to his total against Mexico on Monday. Ousmane Dembele has four from four for France. Randal Kolo Muani and Barcola are supporting France's totals. The Golden Boot at a 48-team World Cup with this level of individual quality across the last-placed teams is one of the most watched individual competitions in the sport and the race through the round of 16 will be the storyline alongside the team results.

World Cup Results Standings And Schedule Live Scores Group Stage Updates And How To Watch 050724193sports.yahoo.com