The 2026 World Cup is producing a Golden Boot race that may never be matched, with three of football’s finest forwards trading blows at the very top of the charts.
Lionel Messi leads the way with five goals from just two matches, while Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland sit level behind him on four goals each.
This is only the second time in World Cup history that three players have scored four or more goals after two matches, and the first since 1954.
Messi broke the World Cup goals record with a double for Argentina against Austria, taking his tournament tally to 18 goals from 28 World Cup appearances across his entire career.
Mbappe responded with two goals of his own on his 100th international appearance, firing France to victory against Iraq in a weather-delayed match that gripped the tournament.
Haaland then added his name to the highlights reel by scoring twice as Norway beat Senegal to qualify for the last 32, marking a stunning start to his World Cup career.
French football expert Julien Laurens told BBC Sport: “With the big stars, they want the ball all the time.”
Laurens added: “I guess part of it is that they’re not just chasing the Golden Boot, a handful of them are chasing the all-time record too.”
Mbappe has pulled level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, matching the previous all-time record that stood at the start of the tournament.
Former Scotland striker Ally McCoist told ITV: “In terms of natural footballing ability, Messi is out in front, with Kylian Mbappe probably in second. But in front of goal Haaland is as good as it gets.”
McCoist continued: “It is impossible to compare these players. Harry Kane is a better all-round footballer than Haaland as well.”
He added: “But in terms of putting the ball in the back of the net, Haaland is probably the best out there. When it comes to finishing, he takes some beating.”
Haaland, aged 25, is just the sixth player to score multiple goals in each of his first two World Cup appearances, and carries a remarkable tally of 59 goals in 52 Norway appearances into the tournament.
Ex-England midfielder Karen Carney added on ITV: “It was a superstar day. Messi stole the show, but what performances from Mbappe and Haaland as well. Let’s hope Harry Kane can get in on the act on Tuesday.”
England’s Kane has equalled Gary Lineker’s World Cup record for England, and will look to add to his opening-day double against Ghana as the race heats up further.
All four leading strikers will have their eyes on Just Fontaine’s 1958 record of 13 goals scored in a single World Cup tournament, a mark that has stood for nearly seven decades.
The expanded 48-team format has clearly played its part, with more lower-ranked nations providing greater opportunities for the world’s elite forwards to find the net regularly.
Former France defender Gael Clichy told BBC Sport: “Kylian Mbappe is part of the generation which has that fearless factor. Don’t talk about age, talk about performance.”
Mbappe himself insisted the Golden Boot is not his focus, saying: “Leo always scores. He always has and always will. I’m only thinking about helping my team — by helping the team, I score goals and get closer to that kind of level.”
Norway boss Stale Solbakken made clear his belief that Haaland deserves recognition, saying: “He is the best striker — he is not playing for France or Argentina, he scores for Norway. He’s on fire and I’m very happy for him.”
USA striker Folarin Balogun, who has two goals himself from two games, perhaps best captured the mood, joking: “I think it’s annoying. Seeing players like Messi, Mbappe, Haaland — they’re so inevitable.”
