Lionel Messi became the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer with a double against Austria, his fifth and sixth goals of the tournament, as the Golden Boot race entered historic territory. The 38-year-old now has 18 goals from 28 matches, surpassing Germany’s Miroslav Klose, who previously held the record with 16. Messi has scored all five of Argentina’s goals at this edition, and his performance in Dallas also saw him break the record for most goals in World Cup history.
But Messi is not alone in the spotlight. Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are breathing down his neck with four goals each after two games – a feat not seen since 1954, when for the first time since then three players scored four or more times in the opening two matches. Mbappe struck twice in France’s weather-delayed victory over Iraq on his 100th international appearance, while Haaland’s double helped Norway beat Senegal to qualify for the last 32. Harry Kane, on two goals after his opening-day double, will have a chance to close the gap when England face Ghana on Tuesday.
“Messi becomes World Cup all-time top scorer as Mbappe and Haaland chase; Fernandez dominates midfield but eyes Real Madrid exit.”
French football expert Julien Laurens told BBC Sport: “With the big stars, they want the ball all the time. I guess part of it is that they’re not just chasing the Golden Boot, a handful of them are chasing the all-time record too.” Former Scotland striker Ally McCoist added: “In terms of natural footballing ability, Messi is out in front, with Kylian Mbappe probably in second.”
Amid the goal glut, Argentina’s midfield enforcer Enzo Fernandez quietly dominated the game against Austria. The Chelsea midfielder broke up play, started attacks and “cherished the ball like it belonged to him alone,” as the Mirror’s Jeremy Cross described. But Fernandez’s future is far from settled. He is keen to join Real Madrid, who have made him a main summer target under returning manager Jose Mourinho. Mourinho can offer Champions League football – a lure Chelsea cannot match after their failure to qualify. Chelsea paid a then British record £106m for Fernandez in 2023, and new manager Xabi Alonso feels powerless to stop him leaving. With Fernandez adding value to his price tag with every World Cup display, a move to the Spanish capital appears increasingly inevitable.
The Evening Standard noted that the battle for the Golden Boot “is not a two-horse race” – and with Messi, Mbappe and Haaland tearing up the record books, the tournament is producing something special. For Chelsea, however, the price of that brilliance may be losing one of their own.