Ikhtisar Ithad Alnazla

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.

Australia take on Egypt next in the World Cup. Here’s how you can secure your tickets

Egypt are facing an anxious wait regarding the fitness of their captain and talisman Mohamed Salah after the forward suffered a hamstring strain. The Liverpool icon picked up the injury during the group stage draw with Iran, placing his participation in Friday's crucial World Cup round of 32 knockout clash against Australia in jeopardy as medical staff assess him.

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.