The race for the Golden Boot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has become more enthralling after Erling Haaland's match-winning brace against Brazil propelled him into a three-way tie with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe at the top of the scoring chart.
Haaland struck twice in Norway's 2-1 Round-of-16 victory over Brazil, taking his tournament tally to seven goals. The Norwegian star now shares the lead with Lionel Messi of Argentina and Kylian Mbappe, who have also netted seven times.
Despite the three-way tie on goals, Mbappe currently tops the Golden Boot standings on the official tiebreaker. The France captain has also registered two assists, while Messi and Haaland have yet to provide an assist. If the trio finish the tournament level on goals, Mbappe's superior assist tally would earn him the Golden Boot unless another player overtakes him.
England captain Harry Kane has scored five goals, leaving him just two behind the leaders with potentially four matches still to play.
Just behind them are two players still capable of mounting a late challenge. Spain's Mikel Oyarzabal and France winger Ousmane Dembele have four goals each and remain in contention as their teams continue their World Cup campaigns.
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, has three goals and will also be hoping to add to his tally as the knockout stage progresses.
As several leading contenders still in the tournament, the race for the Golden Boot is wide open. The battle to finish as the World Cup's leading marksman promises to be one of the tournament's most captivating storylines.