The race for the World Cup 2026 Golden Boot is led by Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane, with early tournament goal totals making the competition unusually close. Multiple outlets report that Kane is rapidly closing the gap after scoring a late brace in England’s match against DR Congo, taking him to five goals—one behind the joint leaders, Messi and Mbappé. Other coverage highlights that Messi has produced multiple multi-goal performances early on, including a hat-trick against Algeria and a subsequent record-breaking brace against Austria. Mbappé is also cited as a consistent threat, with reports pointing to a double against Senegal. Several previews and betting-focused articles describe both Kane and Mbappé as favourites, alongside Messi as another major contender. The Guardian notes that the Golden Boot goes to the top scorer, with assists used as the tie-breaker if players finish level, and that previous Golden Boot winners taking part include Mbappé, Kane, and James Rodríguez. Overall, the story across outlets is a tight top-scoring contest, with Kane’s recent surge narrowing the distance to the leaders as the tournament moves beyond the group phase.