World Cup 2026 golden boot standings: Lionel Messi, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe early front-runners

At the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Harry Kane have emerged as early front-runners for the golden boot. Messi netted a hat-trick against Algeria, while Mbappe scored twice against Senegal, and Kane struck a first-half brace against Croatia. These performances have placed the three global stars at the top of the tournament's scoring charts.