Messi, Ronaldo, Haaland, Mbappé: the 2026 Golden Boot showdown
Four generational strikers enter their final World Cup cycle locked in a high-stakes race for the Golden Boot—history, form, and fitness will decide who finishes on top.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are chasing a fourth World Cup Golden Boot between them, while and aim to claim their first. The 2026 tournament in North America could be the final World Cup stage for all four. Messi, 37, enters with a record seven goals in his last two World Cups and the 2022 triumph already on his resume.
