HB Overview

HB Overview

Messi Mbappe Haaland World Cup Golden boot 16:9

World Cup Golden Boot standings: Mbappe, Haaland & Messi top chart

The 2026 World Cup is well underway and so is the race for the prestigious Golden Boot - the award given to the tournament's top scorer. There's a long and winding road to be navigated as 48 nations battle for the top prize, but which star will take home the illustrious award? Here, GOAL tracks the tournament's most prolific stars.

Winners losers World Cup group stage GFX

Winners & losers of the World Cup group stage

The group stage of the 2026 World Cup came to a dramatic conclusion on Saturday, as Austria scored a 96th-minute equaliser against Algeria to qualify for the knockout stage while simultaneously eliminating Iran, who had been set to progress as one of the tournament's third-placed finishers. Elsewhere, Lionel Messi came off the bench to help Argentina maintain their 100 percent winning record with a 3-1 victory over Jordan and, in doing so, the No.10 extended his record-breaking goals tally at the finals to 19.

Spain v Cabo Verde: Group H - FIFA World Cup 2026

How have debutant teams performed at the FIFA World Cup?

Four nations made debuts at the 2026 World Cup, with Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan gracing the grandest stage in international football for the first time. It is the tournament with the most newcomers since 2006 and Cape Verde have achieved the feat of ending a 16-year wait for a debutant to reach the knockout stages, with the African nation to face Lionel Messi's Argentina on Friday.

Tunisia vs Netherlands FIFA World Cup 2026 preview

Comprehensive match preview of Tunisia vs Netherlands at World Cup 2026. We talk tactics, team news and more.

Tunisia vs Japan FIFA World Cup 2026 Preview

GOAL brings you everything you need to know about Tunisia vs Japan at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Netherlands v Japan: Group F - FIFA World Cup 2026

Kamada praises Glasner after dramatic World Cup equaliser

Daichi Kamada has praised the profound impact of his former Crystal Palace and Eintracht Frankfurt manager Oliver Glasner after scoring a crucial late equaliser for Japan against the Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup. The midfielder credited the tactician for his successful transition into a deeper defensive role, which has revitalised his international career in the United States.

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	PTS	Form
2	AD Fafe	10	4	3	3	11	10	1	21	D L L W W
3	Paredes	10	3	3	4	12	10	2	21	D L D W L
4	AD Marco 09	10	3	5	2	8	9	-1	18	D W W D D
5	Braga B	10	2	3	5	9	13	-4	17	D L L L L
6	Sanjoanense	10	2	4	4	13	16	-3	11	L W W L D

Pos

Team

+/-

PTS

Form