Messi and Mbappe target historic second World Cup Golden Boot in 2026

The race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot is intensifying as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland prepare for the tournament in North America. The award, given to the tournament's top goalscorer, remains one of football's most competitive individual honours as the event expands to 48 teams across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Kylian Mbappe enters the 2026 cycle as the defending recipient. The French forward secured the trophy at Qatar 2022 after scoring eight goals, including a hat-trick in the final. Lionel Messi, who finished with seven goals in the previous edition, remains a primary contender to become the first player in history to win the award twice. Recent Golden Boot winners and goal tallies History shows a consistent requirement of at least six goals to secure the trophy in the modern era. Harry Kane won the 2018 award in Russia with six goals, matching the tally of Colombia’s James Rodriguez in 2014. Germany’s Thomas Müller and Miroslav Klose took the honours in 2010 and 2006 respectively, both finishing with five goals. The record for the most goals in a single tournament remains with France’s Just Fontaine, who scored 13 goals in 1958. In…