Entering the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup, the race for the top scorer award, or Golden Boot, is intensifying. Argentine megastar Lionel Messi currently leads the goalscoring chart, but his position is far from secure with a real threat from French forward Kylian Mbappe, who continues to shadow him in second place.
Messi's dominance was further underlined by an impressive performance in the round of 32 match against Cape Verde on Saturday morning (4/7/2026) WIB. In the match that ended in a 3-2 victory for the Albiceleste, Messi scored a crucial goal that secured his country's ticket to the round of 16.
This achievement extends the 39-year-old player's fantastic record of scoring in eight consecutive World Cup matches dating back to the 2022 edition. Messi's latest goal came from an elegant counterattack; he controlled a precise through ball before unleashing a powerful shot into the top corner of Cape Verde's net.
So far, Messi has accumulated a total of seven goals in this tournament. Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe remains his fiercest rival with six goals. With both world-class players maintaining their form, the top scorer race is expected to fluctuate right up until the final match.
